Dele Alake dispatches investigative team to Wase community where villagers mining abandoned lead pit were killed by suspected sulphur dioxide emissions
The Federal Government has ordered the immediate closure of a mining site in Plateau State after at least 37 villagers died from inhaling toxic gases while mining in an abandoned pit—a tragedy that has reignited concerns over the dangers of informal extraction and abandoned mineral sites across Nigeria.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, directed that all operations within Mining Licence 11810, operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited, be halted following the incident in Zuraq community, Wase Local Government Area. The licence, owned by Abdullahi Dan-China, lies between longitudes 10.34.45 and 10.35.50 and latitudes 9.13.45 and 9.14.40 .
The Tragedy
The incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 17, when miners who had just finished early morning Muslim prayers returned underground to complete their night shift. Toxic gas—believed by some witnesses to be carbon monoxide and by preliminary ministry reports to be sulphur dioxide—had built up in poorly ventilated tunnels, causing workers to collapse .
Miners arriving for the morning shift discovered their colleagues' bodies. "There was no rescue for them at the time because those who were coming for the morning shift had yet to arrive," said Safiyanu Haruna, one of the miners who found the bodies .
According to Wase Local Government Chairman Hamisu Anani, 37 miners died and 25 others were hospitalised. The victims, believed to be men aged between 20 and 40, were buried shortly afterwards in accordance with local tradition .
How It Happened
Preliminary investigations suggest the company had ceded the abandoned pit to the host community following agitation by villagers seeking economic opportunities. The area was previously a lead mining site containing mineral deposits prone to emissions of sulphuric oxide gas. Unaware of the toxic nature of the site, the villagers engaged in manual extraction while inhaling the poisonous emissions .
Some witnesses, however, maintain that carbon monoxide was responsible. "It was carbon-monoxide gas that leaked and killed them," Haruna insisted .
Government Response
Alake, on a condolence visit to Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, expressed deep sorrow over the loss. "The minister sympathised with the governor over the loss of the innocent citizens who died while trying to earn a living and urged him to convey his deep sorrow and solidarity with the people of Wase over the irreparable loss," a statement by his media aide, Segun Tomori, read .
The minister has dispatched a high-level investigative team led by Permanent Secretary Yusuf Yabo to determine both the immediate and remote causes of the incident and recommend sanctions. The team includes experts in mining, environmental compliance, and artisanal and small-scale mining cooperatives .
Security personnel have sealed off the site as investigations continue .
Broader Implications
The tragedy highlights the growing risks associated with abandoned mining pits across Nigeria, particularly in rural communities where economic hardship pushes residents into informal mining without adequate safety awareness. Over the years, abandoned sites in parts of Plateau, Zamfara, and Niger states have posed environmental and public health threats, with experts warning of exposure to heavy metals, toxic gases, and contaminated water .
Mining disasters occur relatively frequently in Nigeria. Less than two years ago, dozens of gold miners died after being trapped underground when a pit collapsed in neighbouring Niger state, an incident officials attributed to torrential rains .
The Plateau tragedy is likely to accelerate reforms on abandoned mine management, community engagement, and environmental remediation as the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development intensifies efforts to formalise artisanal mining and enforce safety compliance.
Posts
0 Comments