A miner from Katsina State, Sani Hamisu, has denied allegations that miners provide financial support or assistance to bandit groups operating in remote areas.
Speaking during an interview with News Central TV on July 9, 2026, Hamisu said mining activities often take place in isolated locations where criminal groups also establish camps, making encounters between miners and bandits common.
He explained that years of working in the same environment have made miners familiar with some bandits, but insisted that the relationship does not involve cooperation or sponsorship.
“We carry out our mining activities very close to them. We know each other to the extent that we sometimes pass near their camps while going about our work. But honestly, they do not sponsor us, and we do not sponsor them,” Hamisu said.
He added that miners are only trying to earn a living despite the insecurity affecting their communities. According to him, the remote nature of mining locations makes contact with armed groups difficult to avoid.
Hamisu maintained that miners and bandits operate separately and that there is no financial connection between the two groups.
