The federal government has ordered the immediate closure of a mining site in Plateau State after about 37 villagers reportedly died from inhaling toxic gases during artisanal mining activities.
According to reports, 25 others were hospitalised after being exposed to suspected carbon monoxide at the mining site in Zurak, located in Wase Local Government Area.
The victims, mostly young men aged between 20 and 35, were said to have been carrying out routine underground mining when they inhaled toxic gases that had accumulated in poorly ventilated tunnels.
Following the incident, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, directed the suspension of all operations under Mining Licence 11810, operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited, after the tragedy in the Zurak community of Wase LGA.
The licence, owned by Abdullahi Dan-China, covers coordinates between longitudes 10.34.45 and 10.35.50 and latitudes 9.13.45 and 9.14.40.
In a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, the minister expressed deep sorrow during a condolence visit to Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, describing the victims as “innocent citizens trying to earn a living.”
“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,” the statement read.
Alake also dispatched a high-level investigative team led by the ministry’s 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.
“The minister has dispatched a team of officials and investigators to probe the remote and immediate causes of the incident and recommend appropriate sanctions,” the statement noted. “The team also includes experts in mining, environmental compliance and artisanal cooperatives. The minister is coordinating the team and support services to ensure effective management of the situation.”
Officials said further details would be made public as investigations progress.
Preliminary findings indicate that the company allegedly ceded the abandoned pit to the host community after agitation by villagers seeking economic opportunities. The site, an abandoned lead mine, reportedly contains mineral deposits prone to emitting sulphuric oxide gas.
Unaware of the toxic risks, villagers engaged in manual extraction and inhaled the poisonous emissions, leading to the fatalities.
The tragedy underscores the growing dangers posed by abandoned mining pits across Nigeria, particularly in rural areas where economic hardship drives residents into informal mining without adequate safety awareness.
Over the years, abandoned mining sites in Plateau, Zamfara and Niger states have presented serious environmental and public health risks, including exposure to heavy metals, toxic gases and contaminated water.
