A tragic incident has occurred in a remote area straddling Adamawa and Taraba states, where at least 22 miners are presumed dead following the collapse of a mining pit at an illegal gold-mining site.
The site, located in the Buffa zone within the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, spans Gashaka Local Government Area (LGA) in Taraba State and Toungo LGA in Adamawa State.
Adamu Jamtare, a miner from Gashaka, confirmed that many of the trapped individuals hailed from Jamtare town in Gashaka LGA. “They were mining gold within the Buffa zone, and all 22 miners trapped in the pit are presumed dead,” Jamtare stated.
Engineer Suleiman Toungo, the Chairman of Toungo LGA, confirmed that five bodies had been recovered but could not ascertain the total number of those still buried. He noted that the incident involved miners from various states, including Zamfara and Adamawa, and reportedly occurred nearly a month ago.
Despite patrols by rangers, illegal mining in the area has persisted, typically conducted covertly at night. Fatal incidents in the game reserve are not uncommon; a resident of Tila village, speaking anonymously, mentioned that approximately 70 miners lost their lives in similar pit collapses last year, though these incidents largely went unreported.
Adamawa Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, disclosed that two recent pit collapse incidents were reported, one resulting in four fatalities and the other involving six miners, with two confirmed dead and four injured.
Nguroje added that the police are collaborating with park authorities to apprehend those involved in illegal mining within the reserve.
The Gashaka-Gumti National Park, a protected area rich in mineral resources, has seen a rise in fatalities in recent years due to unregulated mining activities. Local leaders and residents are calling for stricter enforcement of regulations to prevent further loss of life.
