The Kebbi State Government has refuted allegations of backing illegal mining activities, clarifying that a licensing conflict between two mining firms in Libata, Ngaski Local Government Area, was caused by the Mining Cadastral Office in Abuja, not the state ministry.
Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, the Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development and Mining, Haliru Aliyu-Wasagu, stated that the dispute arose when the Mining Cadastral Office issued overlapping licences to Three Crown Company and El-Tahdam Exploration Limited.
“This overlap, caused by the Mining Cadastral Office, Abuja, led to a conflict between the two companies. It is important to emphasize that the Kebbi State Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and Mining has no involvement in this dispute,” he clarified.
Aliyu-Wasagu explained that Three Crown Company registered with the state government in 2023 and completed its licensing process at both federal and state levels, while El-Tahdam Exploration Limited finalized its registration in 2024.
Adding to the discussion, the State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed-BK, criticized the allegations as an attempt to derail the administration’s developmental agenda.
He urged opposition parties to support Governor Nasir Idris in transforming Kebbi State, describing his government as the most responsive and inclusive in the state’s history.
“It is not shameful for the main opposition party, PDP, to acknowledge that ‘Kauran Gwandu is working.’ Let’s support him,” Ahmed-BK remarked.
Both commissioners reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to transparency in the mining sector and called for collaboration among stakeholders to achieve Governor Idris’s vision for a prosperous Kebbi State.
