…Secure legal mining titles or face prosecution – Commissioner warns
By Baba Alfa, Minna
The Niger State Government has issued a strong directive to all illegal miners within the state to halt operations immediately or face arrest and legal action under existing mining regulations.
The warning was delivered during a high-level inspection led by the Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Alhaji Garba Yahaya, who visited several unauthorised mining hotspots across Minna metropolis.
Addressing reporters at one of the sites in Chanchaga, directly opposite a police station, Alhaji Yahaya condemned the unsafe and unregulated mining activities, calling them a grave threat to public safety, environmental integrity, and the wellbeing of host communities.
He appealed to traditional authorities and residents to promptly report any unauthorised mining, stressing that the state government is prepared to act decisively against violators.
“This alarming situation has compelled the state government to initiate a wide-reaching inspection and clampdown. We are resolute in enforcing the law and protecting our communities from further environmental degradation,” he said.
During a visit to another illegal mining location under the Tunga-Goro bridge, the inspection team discovered widespread activity involving underaged children and women excavating mineral pits without protective equipment or supervision.
Officials expressed serious concern over the health and environmental risks of such practices, which are typically conducted at night or in the early hours of the morning to evade detection.
At various sites, including one near a registered Chinese firm, China Civil Construction Engineering (CCCE), many illegal miners fled into surrounding bushes upon sighting government officials, abandoning their tools.
Mr Li, a supervisor at CCCE, voiced frustration over the repeated encroachments by illegal miners. “They return even after dispersals. It is seriously affecting our work,” he stated.
In an interview with Nigeria NewsDirect, Mallam Garba, a local butcher and chairman of the Chanchaga Butchers Association, criticised the lack of follow-through by law enforcement. “These miners operate at odd hours — between 5 and 6 p.m. and sometimes at midnight. We seize their tools, but there’s no clear authority to report to. Even when the police intervene, the miners are often released shortly after,” he said.
In Anguwan Kwakwa, near a registered site run by Climax Mining Company, officials observed children illegally panning for gold within close range of the licensed facility. The company is said to have secured the land behind a military barracks and operates through multiple cooperatives.
Rampant mining along riverbanks in the vicinity has reportedly led to severe land degradation, forcing some residents to abandon their homes or sell their properties due to collapsing structures.
Further inspections were carried out near Federal Government College, close to the old bridge where the state water board’s main pipeline runs. There, officials noted a high concentration of women engaged in unregulated sand dredging — a practice flagged as a major contributor to riverbank erosion, ecological imbalance, and the undermining of critical infrastructure.
Commissioner Yahaya reaffirmed that the government is ready to support licensed miners and promote responsible mining practices, but warned that unlawful operations would no longer be tolerated.
“Anyone without legal mining titles must vacate these locations immediately. The state will not stand by while our environment is plundered and the lives of our people put at risk,” he declared.