Nigeria, July 13 -- Speaking in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, the miners said abandoned and unregulated mining sites had become safe havens for criminal gangs responsible for theft, armed robbery and kidnapping.

A miner with more than 15 years of experience, Abel Dung, said mining activities were previously well-organised, with operators working under valid licences.

"Today, illegal miners have taken over abandoned pits, and at night, those same places are used by thieves and kidnappers," Dung said.

Similarly, Paula Pam expressed concern over the growing influx of undocumented non-indigenes into illegal mining sites, warning that the trend had made it more difficult for security agencies to monit...