By Bunmi Yekini
The Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF) has raised alarms over the rising number of fatalities linked to illegal mining in Nigeria, urging the Ministry of Solid Minerals to take decisive action to curb the trend. Following the recent collapse of an illegal mine in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, which claimed 13 young lives, the CFSF is demanding a more proactive approach to halt these dangerous activities.
Comrade Sani Baba, the Executive Director of CFSF, expressed deep concern about the frequency of mine collapses, especially in Northern Nigeria. “The mine collapse incidents in the north have assumed frightening proportions that match the widespread illegal mining of precious minerals in formerly peaceful communities. The failure of government to nip the crisis in the bud is worrisome because the situation is getting out of hand,” Baba stated.
The recent deaths in Plateau State are not an isolated incident; similar tragedies have occurred, including a recent mine collapse on the Taraba-Adamawa border.
Baba criticized the ministry’s lack of results, highlighting that, despite the much-publicized Mining Marshal initiative, few arrests have been made, and illegal operations continue unabated. He noted, “If the Mining Marshal initiative is as proactive as the media hype that went with its launch, we would not be seeing this spate of mining-related deaths.”
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Baba also voiced frustration over the number of foreign nationals, particularly Chinese, who have been apprehended in states like Nasarawa for illegal mining. “Foreign nationals are swarming the country in search of solid minerals and give no hoot about the state of the environment or lives lost in their insatiable appetite for solid minerals,” he remarked.
The CFSF is now calling for a revamp of the Mining Marshal operations, suggesting stronger collaboration with local communities who are more attuned to identifying and reporting illegal activities. “It’s now time for the Ministry of Solid Minerals to go beyond talk and get to real work,” Baba emphasized, warning that without concrete steps, communities may begin to resist mining operations altogether.