On Tuesday, a group of disgruntled youths, believed to be illegal miners, invaded the MI Wushishi housing estate in Minna, the capital of Niger State. Their action was on the pretext that residents are using security operatives to stop them from their mining activities.
Eyewitnesses reported that the incident occurred when police attempted to chase away the miners, who had been illegally digging for gold within the residential area. The community had earlier alerted the authorities to the miners’ activities, fearing the infiltration of their homes.
In retaliation, the miners returned in large numbers, sacking the community and destroying public facilities, apartments, and vehicles. Terrified residents fled their homes in fear of further attacks, as the miners vowed to return with reinforcements. The situation remains tense, with increasing calls for heightened security measures to protect the residents and prevent further violence.
Yusuf Mami, the State Chairman of the Miners Association of Nigeria, clarified that the attackers were not members of the association, and no known member was involved in the destruction. However, he acknowledged that some local youths have been digging up soil randomly in search of gold and have become violent.
Police patrol teams led by DPO Maitumbi moved to the scene, and the miscreants were dispersed. However, one person among the gangs, whose identity is yet to be known, was killed by the hoodlums and was taken to the General Hospital morgue.
The Niger State Government recently lifted a ban on mining activities in the state, which had been imposed due to several mining site collapses. The government also established a task force to oversee the sector. Since the ban was lifted, data from the mining cadastre office shows that 578 mineral titles have been issued to operators in the state, with gold accounting for 369 (81.46%) of these titles.