Niger Illegal Mining Resumes Despite Ban Days After 37 Miners Died in NSCDC Custody

Illegal mining activities have resumed in parts of Niger State, days after 37 suspected illegal miners died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The deaths occurred after NSCDC operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas on September 15 and 16. The circumstances and cause of the deaths remain under investigation, while the Federal Government has constituted an independent committee to investigate the incident.

Despite the tragedy and a state government suspension of mining activities, residents in some communities visited by DAILY POST said miners had continued returning to locations around homes, churches, hotels and other properties.

On September 18, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago ordered the suspension of all mining activities across the state until further notice. The government also ordered the closure of mining operations at the Ema Ushishi site.

Two days later, Bago called for an executive order from the Presidency or the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to prohibit mining in locations identified as problematic across the state, arguing that stronger federal intervention was needed to enforce mining regulations.

However, when DAILY POST visited some of the affected communities on September 21 and again on September 26, excavated plots, open holes and damaged fences were still visible around residential properties.

Some residents said miners had continued returning despite previous arrests and enforcement operations.

The miners themselves attributed their return to the need to earn a living.

A 16-year-old miner identified as Musa, not his real name, told DAILY POST in Hausa that he travelled from Katsina State to Niger to engage in mining.

“Walahi, ba za mu daina ba (honestly, we will not stop).”

He said miners would continue returning because they had no other means of livelihood.

“As long as we don’t have another means of livelihood, we will keep coming back. Even the NSCDC or the police cannot stop us.”

DAILY POST also reported that some miners operating in the affected communities came from outside Niger State.

For residents, however, the mining activities have brought significant damage to their properties.

A church owner in one of the affected areas said he had spent substantial amounts of money filling gullies created by mining around the building. He estimated that he would need more than N1 million to fill excavations around the church fence and other parts of the property.

He also alleged that miners regularly entered the premises, used water from the church’s well or tanks and washed gold-bearing sand within the property.

“When you try to talk to them or chase them away, they turn around and attack you with dangerous weapons on your own property. The development is really sad.”

DAILY POST observed sections of the church fence that had been destroyed, as well as damage to fences belonging to other residents.

The church owner also alleged that miners entered the building through the ceiling and stole two large standing fans, musical instruments and other items. He showed the damaged ceiling to the correspondent.

Another resident, Mamuda, said property owners were being left with the financial burden of repairing damage caused by the excavations.

“They are destroying our property looking for gold to make money and meet their needs, but they leave us with the burden of sourcing money to repair the damage. When will this come to an end?”

The return of miners became particularly noticeable in the days following the deaths.

A resident, Binta Bello, said miners were seen moving towards the mining area in Tunga on September 19. She alleged that some of them told residents that nobody could stop them.

Another resident, Moses, said he saw miners digging for gold in the area on September 20.

During a visit on September 21, DAILY POST observed miners excavating close to an NSCDC office while personnel were present at the office. The report said there was no visible intervention during the period of observation.

On September 23, police operatives entered the mining area and arrested some miners, while others escaped. Mining equipment, including shovels, diggers and head pans, was also removed.

By September 26, residents said miners had returned to some locations.

The problem predates the deaths of the 37 detainees.

DAILY POST reported in May that illegal mining was contributing to wider social problems in parts of Minna, with residents identifying areas including Maitumbi, Tunga, Kpakungu, Angwan-Daji, Limawa, Western Bypass, M.I. Wushishi Estate and Chanchaga as affected locations.

At the time, the police said raids were being conducted but acknowledged difficulties in preventing suspects from returning to the streets after prosecution.

A further report in August documented the spread of illegal mining into residential areas.

The police said more than 100 suspected illegal miners had been arrested within the year, while the NSCDC said its Mining Marshals had arrested more than 100 suspects and taken about 29 to court.

The repeated arrests have nevertheless failed to permanently stop mining in some communities.

Niger State Police spokesman SP Wasiu Abiodun previously explained the difficulty, saying some suspects paid fines and later returned to the same activities.

“They pay fines and later return to their illegal activities, thereby recycling them.”

Moses said residents had also attempted to form an association of land and property owners to find a collective response to the problem, but the effort failed because members could not reach an agreement.

Residents said they had filled some of the holes dug around their properties, only for miners to return and excavate the same areas again.

Environmental activist Malang Ebrahim Kadiogu warned that continued mining around homes, hotels and other buildings could create structural and environmental risks.

He said excavations close to buildings could weaken foundations and contribute to gully erosion. He also warned that continued disputes between miners and property owners could eventually result in confrontation if the authorities fail to resolve the problem.

“It’s unacceptable to destroy another person’s property in search of livelihood.”

Kadiogu called for measures that would provide unemployed youths with alternative and productive sources of livelihood.

The Niger State Police Command said it was continuing to monitor the affected locations.

Abiodun told DAILY POST that patrol teams had continued visiting mining areas and that recent arrests had been made.

“Recently, some arrests were made and we shall continue to patrol these locations.”

He said the police would work with the Niger State Ministry of Mineral Resources towards finding a permanent solution, while urging the ministry to take necessary steps to address the situation.

DAILY POST said it contacted the Niger State Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Muhammed Qasim Danjuma, by phone and text message for a response on why mining activities were continuing despite the suspension. He had not responded as of the time of filing the report.

For residents, the immediate problem remains the damage left behind by the excavations.

Open pits and excavated plots remain visible around some properties, while sections of fences and buildings have been damaged. Residents said they have been forced to spend their own money on repairs.

At the same time, miners say they have few alternative sources of income.

The deaths of the 37 detainees have brought renewed attention to mining enforcement in Niger State, but the accounts from residents and authorities indicate that the illegal mining problem existed long before the September tragedy and remains unresolved in some residential communities.