No fewer than five miners have been confirmed dead, while many others are still trapped under a mining pit that collapsed on them at an illegal mining site; much of their faith is yet known.
The incident happened at the National Game Reserve in the Gashaka local government area of Taraba state and the Toungo area in Adamawa state.
Engr. Suleiman Toungo, the Chairman of Toungo local government area of Adamawa State, confirmed the deaths of five illegal miners Thursday.
Toungo said the exact number of other miners that were feared buried in the collapsed pit is still unknown.
He noted that the illegal miners used to mine at night in the national game reserve at Kogin Bama District in Tila village of Toungo LGA.
According to him, the illegal miners, mainly from Zamfara and Adamawa State, despite restrictions by rangers from the NSCDC, carry out their activities at odd hours in the night.
The Adamawa Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, has debunked the deaths of 70 illegal miners.
Nguroje said two reports were recorded concerning the pit collapse for illicit miners.
He said the first was a report on four illegal miners who died, while the recent one involved six illicit miners. Where four sustained various degrees of injuries, while two were confirmed dead.
The Adamawa PPRO said the police are working closely with other Gumti National Park security agencies to apprehend illegal miners.
The two people that died were all from Taraba, and the four have been taken to hospital for treatment, and the police are working with the security actors of the Gumti National Park to identify, locate and arrest the illegal miners „. He stated.
An eyewitness said some of the deceased miners were from Jamtare town in Gashaka local government area.
They had been mining gold in the area, which is part of the Buffa zone in Gashaka-Gumti National Park that covers part of Gashaka local government area in Taraba state and Toungo local government area of Adamawa state.“
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