The Senate has mandated the Committee on Solid Minerals to investigate the cause of a rockslide in Farin Doki community, Shiroro Local Government of Niger state.
The rockslide buried 30 miners alive in a gold mining site.
The Senate also urged the committee to accelerate the passage of the Mine Ranger Bill currently before the Senate.
This followed the adoption of a motion at plenary on Thursday in Abuja on an “urgent need to address incident of the rockslide.”
The motion was sponsored by Sen. Mohammed Sani (Niger, APC).
Sani said on June 3, an open pit gold mine collapsed, killing 30 local informal miners buried alive in the Farin Doki Community.
He said the site was near Erena in Shiroro Local Government, Niger East Senatorial District.
Sani said the miners, in their quests for gold and lithium minerals, met their death as the site caved in; burying them under tons of rubbles.
He said the tragic incident underscored the urgent need for a holistic action to be taken to address the dangers faced and posed by local mining activities across the country.
Sani said it was imperative to secure the mining sites to forestall future occurrence and avoid further loss of life.
The Senate observed a minute silence in honour of the victims and commended the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, for his swift response in monitoring the situation.
The Senate also urged the Federal Government to come out with strict safety measures and regulation on mining activities in Nigeria in line with international best practices.
The Senate also called for deployment of adequate security apparatus to the mining communities to maintain vigilance around mining areas to prevent further incursions and intrusion by informal miners.
It urged the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant agencies of government to expedite actions in the recovery of the remains of the deceased in the catastrophe.
According to the upper chamber, such recovery will ensure that the bereaved families have final closure on their loved one.
