Sani Hamisu, a miner and victim of bandit attacks in Katsina State, has denied allegations that miners sponsor armed groups or receive support from them, saying the two groups merely operate in the same remote areas.
Speaking in an interview with News Central TV on Thursday, July 9, 2026, Hamisu said miners often work close to forests and other isolated locations where bandits have established camps. He explained that years of operating in the same environment have made both groups familiar with one another, but insisted this does not amount to collaboration.
“We are doing our mining very close to them. We know each other to the extent that we used to go very close to their houses conducting our own businesses. But sincerely speaking, they are not sponsoring us and we are not sponsoring them,” Hamisu said.
He maintained that miners are ordinary citizens seeking to earn a living despite persistent insecurity. According to him, encounters with bandits are common because mining sites are typically located far from towns and cities, where armed groups also operate.
