By: Tunde Bolaji – Minna.
There was palpable fear among law-abiding citizens living along the Western Bypass area near El-Amin University in Minna, Niger State, on Thursday.
Residents were thrown into panic in the early hours of the day following a bloody clash between suspected groups of illegal miners operating in the area, located in Chanchaga Local Government Area of the state capital.
It was gathered that the chaos, which erupted around dawn, triggered an immediate response from the Niger State Ministry of Mineral Resources.
Upon arrival at the scene, a team of ministry officials and security operatives discovered that the suspected hoodlums had already fled. However, several illegal miners were apprehended during the operation and will be prosecuted in accordance with due legal process.
The enforcement operation was led by the Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Alhaji Garba S. Yahaya, who was accompanied by senior directors from the ministry.
The team, alongside a joint security task force comprising personnel from the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), carried out the intervention.
At the end of the operation, Alhaji Garba Yahaya condemned the activities of illegal miners and reaffirmed the government’s zero-tolerance stance against illegal mining.
He described the escalating incidents as a serious threat to public peace, environmental sustainability, and lawful economic development in the state.
The commissioner reiterated the directive of the state governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, which mandates all illegal miners to vacate the state with immediate effect.
He also expressed appreciation to the Commissioner of Police, the NSCDC State Commandant, the Brigade Commander of the Nigerian Army, and other security stakeholders for their swift and coordinated response.
He emphasized that the ministry would continue working closely with security agencies to ensure the protection of lives, property, and mineral resources in the state.
The ministry further raised concerns over the environmental damage caused by unregulated mining, including the destruction of drainage channels, encroachment on burial grounds behind the M.I. Wushishi Estate, collapse of residential perimeter fences, and the blocking of culverts that connect communities—creating a high risk of flooding.
The Ministry of Mineral Resources, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, reaffirmed its commitment to restoring order and safeguarding communities across Niger State from the destructive effects of illegal mining.
