Former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has said that the mining site in Plateau State where 37 miners recently died had been shut down in 2017 during his tenure as Minister of Solid Minerals Development.

Fayemi, who served as Minister between 2015 and 2018 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, stated that the Federal Government had taken step at the time to close down illegal and unsafe mining operations across the country.

According to him, the Plateau site was among locations affected by enforcement actions aimed at sanitizing the mining sector and preventing the environmental hazards and fatalities.

The recent incident has reignited concerns over illegal mining activities and regulatory enforcement in the state.

Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and determine how operations resumed at the state.

-9News Nigeria.