Federal Government to Revoke Licenses Over Illegal Mining After Fatal Niger State Mine Collapse

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has announced plans to revoke the licenses of land unit owners whose properties are exploited by illegal miners. This decision follows the recent mine collapse in Niger State, which resulted in three fatalities.

On Thursday at around 10 am, a mine in Adunu Village, Paikoro Local Government Area, Niger State, collapsed, claiming three lives. This incident occurred just two weeks after a previous mine collapse in Shiroro, Niger State, which trapped over 50 miners.

In a statement released on Saturday by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, stated that initial investigations identified the collapsed mine as part of the area under Exploration Licence 43113, held by Jurassic Mines Limited. Alake clarified that exploration licenses do not permit mining activities but are meant to assess the site's suitability for mineral exploration.

READ ALSO 

Federal Government Warns Against Unrealistic Minimum Wage Demands Threatens Mass Sacking

Federal Government Raises Alarm Over Increased Petrol Smuggling Amid Price Disparities

The Ministry responded promptly to the incident, receiving reports at about 4:45 pm on Thursday. Officials, upon arrival at the site by 6:15 pm, confirmed that the miners involved were operating illegally. By that time, work had ceased, and the victims had been buried. The ministry took coordinates of the site and returned to Minna by 8:30 pm. Contacted by phone, the owners of Jurassic Mines Limited claimed ignorance of the illegal activities on their land and were summoned to the state capital.

Alake pledged ongoing communication as further developments unfold. The incident underscores ongoing challenges in curbing illegal mining activities, which continue to pose severe risks.

The state Ministry of Mineral Resources, meanwhile, has been struggling to rescue miners still trapped from the Shiroro mine collapse, highlighting a lack of assistance from multinational rescue firms. The latest tragedy in Bazakwoi, Adunu Community, has intensified the urgency for regulatory enforcement and the protection of miners' safety.