•How survival-seeking youths get buried alive in underground mining sites
By Henry Umahi
One fateful day in November last year, a group of women went to a mining site on Fan Road, in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. Among the women was a nursing mother, who was breastfeeding her baby. Suddenly, the earth opened up and swallowed all of them.
Sixty-five year-old Sunday Davou Gyang, a native of Kassa in Barkin-Ladi, whose son, Raymond Sunday, lost his life in November 2024 in a mining site, said: “As it is, the population of our children who died as a result of this mining, we can’t tell. Even last year, there were some women that went for mining along Fan Road. While they were just standing, the ground just sank under them. One of them was a breastfeeding mother and they took her baby there for her to breast-feed. As she was just feeding the baby, the ground swallowed them all.”
To address the issues of constant collapse of mines and illegal mining activities in Plateau State, the state government set up the Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO) headed by Prof. Stephen Malo. It also suspended mining activities across the state for about five months.
However, on May 23, 2025, Governor Caleb Mutfwang announced the review of temporary suspension of mining activities in the state. Providing a progress report on what he referred to as “the bold and necessary decision we took exactly five months ago, on February 21, 2025, when I signed Executive Order 001 of 2025, temporarily suspending all mining activities across the 17 local government areas of our beloved Plateau State,” the governor stated: “This decision was not made lightly. It was not aimed at hurting or denying our loyal and industrious citizens of their legitimate sources of livelihood. I am fully aware that Plateau State has been a cornerstone of Nigeria’s mining history since 1902.
“The emergence of large-scale mining on the Plateau served as a catalyst for economic growth, industrial development, job creation, foreign exchange earnings, and infrastructural expansion.
Today, many households in our state depend on mining to survive. However, three months ago, we recognised the urgent need to intervene, to bring about reforms, enhance security, and restore human dignity to our communities. That intervention was not only timely, it was necessary.
“It is particularly heartbreaking to observe how many of our young people have abandoned their education to engage in artisanal mining. This unfortunate trend has exposed them to exploitation, drug abuse, prostitution, and life-threatening health risks. As a responsible and compassionate government, we could not fold our arms and watch this continue.”
Mutfwang disclosed that after thorough screening and verification, 159 companies were cleared to resume operations. These include: six mining licences, 15 small scale mining leases, 15 exploration licences, five artisanal and small-scale mining permits, one quarry lease and 118 tin sheds/buying centres.
The governor warned operators or individuals who have not been cleared to stay away from all mining sites. Calling on all parents and guardians to take full responsibility for their children, he stressed: “Any underage child found at a mining site, instead of being in school, will be arrested along with their parent or guardian and sanctioned accordingly.”
He added that as part of its reform measures, the government has concluded plans to train artisanal miners in safer, modern, and sustainable mining practices. He further informed that the government was “laying a strong foundation to put an end to illegal, exploitative, and dangerous mining practices that have long plagued our land and contributed to insecurity.”
A week earlier, Justice Dorcas .V. Agishi of the Federal High Court, Jos, Plateau State had convicted and sentenced four Chinese nationals – Liang Quin Yong, Wang Huajie, Zhong Jiajing and Long Kechong to 20 years imprisonment for illegal mining of solid minerals in the state. They were each prosecuted on a one-count separate charge bordering on dealing in illegal solid minerals mining.
Sites of pain, sorrow, death
Over the years, artisanal mining has placed food at the table of many families in Plateau State. It has also made some families to weep following the deaths of loved ones as a result of the rampant cases of surface collapse of mining site.
Saturday Sun visited one of the collapsed mining sites located at Ragassa community of Barkin-Ladi Local Government area of the state where mining wells are scattered by miners in search of mineral deposits. They dig the ground until they get to their target while others wait patiently, drawing the sands mixed with tin to the surface.
Artisanal mining practice has left uncountable sites so terrifying with very dangerous scenes. Cracks and signs of collapsed sites were everywhere. Scores of miners have been buried alive over the years in that locality.
Saturday Sun gathered that six young people died at Mai-Agwagwa community in Rukuba chiefdom on November 9, 2024, including 27-year- old Akubaka Daniel Sunday, who was a 400-level civil engineering student of University of Jos, as well as 28-year-old Danjuma Azis, who was doing his one year mandatory national youth service in Gombe State.
The National Secretary of Rukuba Youth Movement, Mr. Nehemiah Adankala told Saturday Sun that it was a big tragedy to the entire Rukuba chiefdom, especially the youths, following the collapse of the mining site on them.
He said: “We lost nine youths from this artisanal mining practices in our community. On November 9, 2024 to be precise, about six people were trapped. And this year, January 2025, three people were trapped again. One of the victims was Danjuma Azis. He was doing his NYSC in Gombe State.
“Those that died in November 2024 were Irimiya Inakoro, 35; Shedrack Sunday, 18; Akubaka Daniel Sunday, 27; and a 400-level civil engineering student at University of Jos; Adukumben Sunday, 18; Danjuma Azis, 28; and Daddy Shiny, who was 33-years-old. All of them died at Mai-Agwagwa mining site.”
Priscilla Sunday, the younger sister to late Akubaka Daniel Sunday, the 400 level engineering student University of Jos, said: “The death of my elder brother is a big blow to the family. We were the only two children of our parents. I am 28 years old now. My brother was a student of civil engineering at the University of Jos; he was in his 400 level already.
“He came home from school for weekend on Friday and didn’t see anybody at home. So, his friends called him to follow them for mining so that he would get some pocket money. While going, he met our father and said he came home and didn’t see anybody, so his friends called him to follow them so that he could get something. So, he told our father that he was going to sleep there. They used to sleep there. It is not as if my brother is into mining like that.
“The following day being Saturday, we heard that my brother was dead. They took them to a cottage hospital but there was nothing the doctors could do because life was out of him already. And because of the frustration, my father ventured into drinking to the point that he fell down and broke his leg. He is currently at the place of treatment with my mother. The frustration of our father is because my late brother was the hope of the family, and his death is a huge setback for the family. Our father could not have the means to finance our education so he was the only one in school. I was supposed to enter school when he finished his programme. Then the unfortunate happened.”
More tales of woe
Madam Esther Samuel, a 57-year-old mother of seven lost her beloved son, Eric, in a mining site in 2023. The grieving woman, who is now battling an ailment on both legs, told Saturday Sun that her condition became so critical after the demise of her son, Eric. She said that she hit her legs against a stone and the unimaginable wounds surfaced, defying all treatment. She added that the ailment has further compounded her situation.
She said: “The news of the death of my son, Eric, was a big shock for me, and up till date, I’m not myself again. I don’t go to the farm any more, I don’t do anything any longer. Since August 14 2023 that my son died, up to the time I got these injuries on my legs, it has been serious trials.
“Just some few days ago when I set my eyes on his picture, I started crying again. I was asking, God are you going to bring this boy back, or I won’t see him again? But sometimes I will come to realise that my younger ones died, my mother, my father both died, and none of them came back. So, is it Eric that is going to come back? I will ask myself like that and then wipe my tears, come out and sit with my grandchildren, daughters in-laws and play with them.
“That boy was just an exceptional human being, even in the church. Whenever our priest wanted to say Mass in commemoration of those who died and said if he remembered his altar boys like Eric, my heart would have fresh pains. The boy was the person running errands for the priest. He would go to Jos and come back, among other things.
“Sometimes, if he got money from his mining activities, he would come home and check on me. He would ask me, mummy what have you eaten? I would say, I haven’t eaten anything yet. He would give me money and say, go and buy something and eat before your daughters in-law comes back and cook.
“Eric was 21-years-old. He was the only one left out of the four of them that had not got married. The remaining three are married with children. Sincerely, I enjoyed this boy very well. He used to bring fish and say, Mama wake up and eat fish. Sometimes, I would say let’s go and check the farm. He would take me on his motorcycle without delay to the farm. But it is often said that what you love and cherished is what God also loves.
“Eric was in school, but because he was exposed to mining money, for him to write his WAEC became a problem. He said next year he would write, and here we are. This is his room; you can see his name on the entrance. Now that he left me, the burden is on the elder brothers. But you know that they also have their families to look after, even though they’re trying their best as well.” The grieving woman recalled events of that fateful day: “That day, I was busy washing my clothes when my eldest son came back and shouted Mama! I raised my head and saw how reddish his eyes were and I asked him what happened? He asked, where is my father? I told him he was by the road side and he left immediately. So, when I stepped out of the compound, I saw a multitude of people from a distance. It was around 11am. I had not even taken my breakfast yet and I was not well.
“When I finally realised that my son was dead, I collapsed. I didn’t know what was happening again. When I finally regained myself the following day, I perceived the smell of onion from my mouth and I asked people around me. They said it was onion, that they were forcing it into my mouth to revive me.
“If government can develop something that can be used to dig this thing and stop the loss of lives through the artisanal mining processes, I will be the happiest person. Sometimes, you will hear that so many people got trapped at mining sites, some will be lucky to escape, some will die there.”
The father of late Eric, Dara Samuel Pam Rwangtok, a 66-year-old farmer and carpenter, equally recounted his ordeal following the sudden demise of his son. While speaking to Saturday Sun at his abode in Kassa village, it was obvious that he was still carrying the pain of the incident in his heart.
He said: “I had seven children and eight grandchildren. I lost one of my sons to mining and I have a neighbour who also lost his son to mining site collapse. Because of the way things are so difficult for daily survival these days, these children had to embrace mining to support me.
“Unfortunately, the mining site collapsed on them and it really touched me deeply. It took me time to accept the fact that my son is gone and I won’t see him again. When the site collapsed, they rescued many people but my son and two others were not lucky to make it.
“People kept turning me up and down that day. They were wondering how they would tell me about my son being one of those that died. So, my eldest son finally took me to where they kept their bodies. Immediately I saw Eric lying inside the vehicle, I called him, Eric what happened? There was no response. I touched him and realised it was a dead body. I became confused and uncontrollable. The hospital was even thrown into confusion too; nobody could hold me.
“They said they will keep the body inside the mortuary, but I said no. I said they should take his body home for me. But I was later told that they wouldn’t take the body home. I didn’t know that they took him to a different burial ground. When I got to know where they were burying him, I rushed there and saw that they had even finished the burial.
“That day, this community was completely thrown into confusion because there were many people at that site. Sincerely, the way and manner they do hunt for this tin is so risky because you have to dig a hole that is sometimes 90 metres deep and also you dig horizontally about 90 feet.”
Despite the hazards associated with artisanal mining, Dara said it only took people few hours or days to exercise some restraint before moving back to site again just to enable them take care of their families.
He added: “Whenever this kind of accident takes place, people only stay away from the mining just for some days and you will see that they will even resume at the same spot again because that’s the only thing they can do to take care of their families.
“I want to say that government needs to come into this tin mining. If government can introduce some sort of technology into this mining to minimise the rate of casualties associated with it, we will be glad. I know before now, we grew up to hear of a mining machine called Africa. I saw it and how it was operating in this our local government area. It excavated the tin, and people would just go and wash it and the company will then take the tin without losing any life like what we are facing today.
“The risk associated with mining today is in multiple. Sometimes, whenever you are excavating the tin under the ground, it keeps pulling you and you would be tempted to keep following it and digging and that’s how you will end your life. Before now, you just dig places suspected to have tin under it. But with technology today, there is a device that can scan and detect where the exact location of tin is and you will just dig it.”
Saturday Sun gathered that Kassa community of Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area was introduced into tin mining just about five to six years ago. “Our major activity was potatoes farming, and later on, cabbage became our major cash crop until the introduction of this tin mining.
“Our young people suddenly abandoned farming completely. It is not as if people here were not doing mining outside this community, but they ended up coming home and then children started going for mining activities, which was not the case before now.
“In fact, our greatest concern is that this trend is affecting the education of these children. They’re not interested in schooling again. And their problem is to get money quickly, not minding about tomorrow or their future. These children are also not worried about the risk associated with it either. Some don’t know anything about farming
“As a father, sincerely I want government to do something concerning these small children going to do mining. I wouldn’t want a child that is not up to 18 years to go to the mining site. If you enter under the ground, you will see how they partition everywhere, having rooms with various doors and walkways inside. The setting looks just like a community outside here,” he explained.
Mr Sunday Davou Gyang, 65, a native of Kassa in Barkin-Ladi, who also lost his son, Raymond Sunday, in November 2024 could not hide his pain, especially when he set his eye on the six grandchildren his son left behind.
At the time Saturday Sun was in the compound of Mr Davou Gyang on May 12, 2025 around 5pm, the mother of the children was yet to come back home from the mining site where she normally goes to in search of what she would use to take care of herself and the children.
Gyang narrated: “In November 2024, my son and his younger brother, along with other friends went for mining. He was digging tin inside while his younger brother was outside when the site collapsed. His younger brother called me and said there was a problem at home, and that time I was in town. I had to rush back home to know what exactly was the problem. They said mining site has collapsed on people, including Raymond.
“We went into the bush, they tried to bring out the body, but to no avail. They brought seven lister engines to pump out the water, but couldn’t succeed that day until the next day around 8am before they recovered his body.
“I must say that I am not the only one that misses him but the entire community because he was so helpful and instrumental to the issue of security of communities in the district.
“He died and left behind a wife and six children. He was my only pillar and has been the one supporting his younger brothers, considering my age. In fact, that same last year (2024), I lost my grandson to mining. He even finished his tertiary education; we could not even find his body because everywhere suddenly got locked. It was difficult for us to locate where the body was and we had to just leave it there. We have lost a lot of people because of this tin mining.
“As I’m talking to you, I have one of my sons that even went for the mining and my heart keeps beating fast. It is only when they’re back that I will be at rest. I would want government to do something, especially in the area of entering the mining holes to mine. If you tell them to stop entering the hole, they won’t agree, especially now that there is no work. They will even ask you what you want them to do.
“As it is, the population of our children who died as a result of this mining we can’t tell. Even last year, there were some women that went for mining along Fan Road. While they were standing, the ground just sank with them. One of them was a breastfeeding mother and they took her baby there for her to breastfeed. As she was just feeding the baby, the ground opened and swallowed them all.”
Several communities, same stories
It is the same story in several communities.
Indeed, tin mining has destroyed several farmlands in Plateau State. The state is believed to have the highest mining ponds, over 1,500 of them, which have become death traps for the host communities.
For decades, tin mining activities had created adverse conditions in Plateau. These resulted in the alienation and destruction of farmlands, environmental degradation, diversion of labour from food production, and, of course, predictably, shortage of food.
Today, scattered all over several communities in Plateau are mining ponds of different proportions and no less varied dimensions and implications, all as unwavering aftermath of such mining activities.
They are a daily reminder of the sad memories of what should have turned the fortunes of the state and the people around. Rather, they have become death traps for the young and old, and a painful reminder and provocation of the sentiments that today form part of the national discourse and subject matter on the agitation for the principle of derivation and fiscal federalism.
However, Gov. Caleb Mutfwang is determined not only to recover the mining ponds in the state but also put them into agricultural use, among others. It is on account of the above that Mutfwang solicited the Federal Government’s intervention through the utilization of available ecological funds to reclaim these mining ponds. As long as they are not reclaimed, he noted, they will continue to be dangerous to the living. They can be turned into sources of businesses like fishing or irrigation farming, he stated.
In his quest to change the narrative, Mutfwang visited the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, and lamented that the state has been left to deal with the devastating environmental impacts of mining, which have degenerated into death traps for the host communities and visiting tourists.
The governor said: “We are hopeful that by leveraging our partnership with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, we can secure Federal Government interventions through ecological funds to remediate these hazardous sites.
“Remedying these mining ponds is not only vital for public health but also holds the potential for significant economic benefits. Plateau State plays a crucial role in strengthening the national food basket and has the potential to turn agriculture into a foreign exchange earner. Hence, the reclamation of these sites is essential.”
The Director of Press and Public Affairs to Gov. Mutfwang, Dr Gyang Bere disclosed that “to make a success of the sector, efforts are being made to develop the downstream sector as the state gets set for daily marketing and trading of solid minerals. It is possible to develop a capital base for the state’s investment in this invaluable and time-honoured economic goldmine.”
•Additional report from Jude Dangwam, Jos