By Akinsuroju Olubunmi
Government to revoke land titles over Illegal mining
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has announced it will revoke the titles of landowners whose properties are exploited by illegal miners. This decision follows another mine collapse in Niger State, which resulted in three fatalities.
The incident occurred on Thursday around 10 am, just two weeks after a mine collapse in Shiroro, Niger State, trapped over 50 miners. According to a statement from the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake revealed that preliminary investigations showed the collapsed mine was under Exploration Licence 43113 of Jurassic Mines Limited in Adunu Village, Paikoro Local Government Area, Niger State.
“Owners of licensed land units mined by illegal miners will lose their titles,” Alake stated. He clarified that an exploration licence allows an applicant to confirm a site’s suitability for mineral exploration but does not authorize mining activities.
Alake reviewed the Ministry’s response to the event, noting that they received reports of the accident at about 4.45 pm on Thursday. It was reported that three people died when a tunnel collapsed on them while they were illegally mining gold at the site.
The Ministry quickly mobilized its officers, who arrived at the site around 6.15 pm. Upon arrival, they found that work had stopped, and only onlookers were present. Officials were informed that the three men killed had already been buried. Coordinates of the site were taken, and the officials returned to Minna around 8.30 pm. The company owners claimed ignorance of the incident and were summoned to the state capital.
The minister promised to provide updates as the situation develops.
PUNCH Online previously reported that nearly two weeks after the Shiroro mine collapse, another mine collapsed on Thursday, resulting in three deaths and one injury. The state Ministry of Mineral Resources disclosed that efforts were still ongoing to rescue the trapped miners in Shiroro, noting the lack of assistance from multinational rescue firms.
The latest collapse occurred at Bazakwoi, Adunu Community, in the Paikoro Local Government Area, where an illegal gold mining pit collapsed, killing three miners.
Collapse, Mining
Government to revoke land titles over Illegal mining