Over 30 people died while seven others were rescued at a collapsed mining site in Galadima Kogo, in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on Monday.
The Senate on Thursday called on the federal government to deploy security agencies to mining communities across the country to maintain vigilance around areas.
The call was a sequel to a motion by Sanni Musa (APC, Niger East) during the plenary.
Over 30 people died while seven others were rescued at a collapsed mining site in Galadima Kogo, in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on Monday.
The Niger State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Ahmed Yumu, on Wednesday, announced that insecurity and difficult terrain are hindering rescue operations of miners trapped in the site.
Mr Musa, while presenting his motion, said there is a need to secure the Niger mining site and other mining communities to forestall future occurrences.
The Niger senator stressed that securing the mining communities with adequate security agencies will reduce illegal mining and its consequences.
He called on the federal government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the mining site in Niger.
Mr Musa prayed the Senate to observe a minute of silence in honour of the victims of the collapsed mining site.
He also asked the upper legislative chamber to direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant agencies of the government to recover the remains of the deceased trapped in the collapsed mining site.
The senator also asked the Senate to mandate its Committee on Solid Minerals to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the site to ascertain the cause of the rockslide.
Contributions
The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, lamented the consequences of the illegal mining on the communities and the country's economy.
"It is unfortunate that this incident occurred in the first place. This intensifies the need for the government to strengthen the regulation of the solid mineral sector. We all know that the government is doing very well in this regard. Still, it has become a cause of concern that we have a lot of illegal miners who are exploiting the resources that belong to the people of this country without paying what is due to the government.
"If that is done, the government will be put in a better place to acquire all the necessary equipment and expertise to solve this problem or even stop it from happening.
"Sadly, the government is being short-changed, and people exploit these minerals owned by the people of this country without paying the necessary fees to the government. This is not what is being done in other parts of the world.
"We need to move to make sure that our solid minerals are exploited in line with international best practices and all and sundry should come together to assist the government in its resolve to deal with this matter decisively, making sure that whatever is due to the government should be paid to the coffers of the government and not allowing even foreigners, to come in and exploit these minerals, taking them to their countries without paying the government what is due to it.
"We need to be up and doing, not only the Solid Minerals ministry but all of us, including the Senate, in trying to see how our solid minerals sector can be operated in line with international best practices and whatever that is supposed to go into the coffers of government goes into the coffers of government," he said.
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Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), condemned the incident and described it as a "very sad moment" for Nigerians.
Mr Ningi said illegal mining posed a great danger to the people.
Imasuen Bernards (LP, Edo South) urged the government to pay attention to the effects of illegal mining.
Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) said the major reason for illegal mining in the country was that there was no legal framework that guides the mining sector.
A majority of the senators voted in support of the motion when it was put to vote by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio,
The senators, thereafter, observed a minute silence in honour of the victims of the collapsed mining site.
