Federal Govt to Revoke Land Titles of Those Harboring Illegal Miners

The Federal Government, via the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has announced its intention to revoke the titles of landowners whose properties are being exploited by illegal miners.

This announcement follows a recent mine collapse in Niger State, which resulted in three fatalities. The incident occurred on Thursday morning, just two weeks after a similar tragedy in Shiroro, Niger State, where over 50 miners were trapped.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, revealed that preliminary investigations indicated the collapsed mine was situated on land under Exploration Licence 43113 of Jurassic Mines Limited in Adunu Village, Paikoro Local Government Area, Niger State.

Alake emphasized, “Owners of licensed land units mined illegally will have their titles revoked.”

He explained that an exploration licence permits an applicant to determine the suitability of a site for mineral exploration but does not authorize mining activities.

Detailing the ministry’s response, Alake said the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development received reports of the accident at approximately 4.45 pm on Thursday. These reports indicated that a tunnel collapse had killed three individuals who were mining gold illegally at the site.

Upon receiving the reports, ministry officials promptly dispatched mine officers to the area, arriving around 6.15 pm. They confirmed that the deceased had been buried and that mining operations had ceased, with only bystanders present at the site. The coordinates of the location were recorded, and officials returned to Minna by 8.30 pm. The company owning the site, Jurassic Mines Limited, was contacted, and its representatives claimed ignorance of the illegal activities, leading to their summons to the state capital’s office.

The minister pledged to provide updates as the situation evolves.

Meanwhile, efforts to rescue miners trapped in the previous Shiroro mine collapse continue, with the state Ministry of Mineral Resources lamenting the lack of assistance from multinational rescue firms. The latest collapse in Bazakwoi, Adunu Community, Paikoro Local Government Area, involved an illegal gold mining site and resulted in three deaths.