Return of illegal miners

• Illicit gold sites thrive again in Niger State

From John Adams, Minna

The old but enduring cliché that “life goes on, no matter the storm” appears apt and true of what is happening in Minna, Niger State, days after the mysterious deaths of 37 miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Yes, the dead have died and riots erupted in the “Power City,” but calm has returned as the people have fortuitously accepted their misfortune, while many have resumed at the various sites to continue with their illegal activities.

A good number of artisanal miners, some of whom survived the last tragedy by the whiskers, are back at the mining sites despite the ban on illegal mining in the state in the wake of the incident. Investigations by Daily Sun showed that the illegal miners, aged between 10 and 25 years, including women and young girls, discharge their tasks with zero sense of apprehension or worry about what befell their colleagues. They appear early enough and disappear at nightfall.

It was equally gathered that some of the miners are not indigenous to the state. A source among them explained that many had travelled all the way from far northern states such as Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina and Sokoto to mine the treasure.

Umaru Ibrahim, aged 25, told Daily Sun that he has no other job, adding that many of the places he had applied refused to employ him: “I just have to return to site or I will die of hunger. And I don’t want to die of hunger.” Another young miner, Yunusa Mohammed, confessed that he came to Minna from Katsina State in December 2025 with the intention of becoming a commercial motorcycle (Okada) rider, but was lured into mining by a friend. He said his friend had convinced him that there was more money in mining than in the commercial motorcycle business.

He affirmed that the benefit of the mining business had since validated his friend’s position, as he had made more money in the mining sector than those of his friends that took to commercial motorcycle transportation. Asked if he intended to quit mining in view of the recent tragedy: “When it is not your time to die, nothing will happen to you.”

Residents living close to the mining sites expressed fear that the unwholesome act of unregulated mining might result in another tragedy in the near future. A resident of Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Housing Estate, Haruna Mohammed, remarked: “I never expected that these boys would return here to continue with their mining activities within less than one week after the death of those 37.”

Mohammed, who resides adjacent to one of the popular mining sites, told Daily Sun, “I started seeing them [the illegal miners] since Monday, and I began to wonder whether the death of the 37 miners did not mean anything to them. It is as if they don’t care about the death of those guys.

“They are not even afraid of being arrested by security agencies. I learned that the governor had ordered the suspension of all forms of mining activities in the state for the meantime.”

To the residents of the immediate communities hosting the prospective gold sites, the return of the illegal miners is particularly troubling. Aisha Bawa lives at Berger Yard, Maitumbi, spoke in Hausa language: “Honestly, I was shocked when I started seeing them coming around since Monday. I couldn’t believe it. They came in their numbers and I was surprised when I saw them.

“I think government should do something about this because we are not safe in the hands of these boys. Most times you see them fighting over little disagreements and using all kinds of dangerous objects and weapons too.”

Sani Abdullahi lamented: “Someone like me, I have tried everything possible to make my son see the reasons he should stop this mining but to no avail. Thank God he was not among the victims, but who knows what will happen tomorrow. I will support every measure by the government to put a stop to this menace. We, parents, are opposed to our children’s involvement in mining activities.”

Tukura Maichibi resides in Tunga. He narrated his ordeal in the hands of these miners: “I had a serious encounter with the artisans over the destruction caused on my land due to their activities. But when they threatened me twice, I abandoned the farmland for them.

“Among the 37 that died, some of them were arrested from here. I am not surprised that they are back to business despite what happened last week. These are boys that don’t have any means of livelihood and most of them engage in this illegal mining without the knowledge of their parents.

“Majority of them don’t even go to school because there is no time you come here that you will not see them. They are here as early as 6:00 a.m. and they don’t leave until evening.”

Mallam Bello described the return of the miners as a serious threat to the safety of the community and appealed to the state government and relevant regulatory agencies to urgently enforce a total ban on illegal mining.

He urged youths and women who embark on these illegal activities to seek safer and more productive means of livelihood that would benefit them and their families.

Meanwhile, the state government reiterated that the law banning all forms of mining activities is still in force, vowing to deal with any individual or group who violates the ban.

Governor Umaru Bago reaffirmed the ban when he attended the three-day Fidau prayers for the deceased 37 miners at the Minna Central Mosque. He explained that his administration was working with the miners’ association to bring sanity to mining activities in order to avoid future catastrophes.