Jos Residents Lament Activities Of Illegal Miners

Residents of Jos, the Plateau State capital, are worried about some youths’ indiscriminate tin mining in a bid to earn a living in the area.

The activities of these youths have posed a serious danger and also exposed the environment to ecological disaster.

Our correspondent, who visited the six local government areas of Plateau North senatorial district, observed that the entire area is littered with locals carrying out illegal mining activities, which have damaged the landscape and arable agricultural lands.

LEADERSHIP investigation revealed that these mining activities are carried out in places near residential homes, city centres, farmlands, and new settlements, among others.

Most times, these illegal miners excavate the ground to the point of bursting out in the bedrooms of residential homes close to the area of operations.

It will be recalled that the 2024 School building collapse, where over 30 students lost their lives in Busa Buji in Jos, was partly blamed on the activities of illegal miners in the area.

Amos Yohana and Stephen Danjuma, residents of Jos South LGA, told our correspondent that the activities of these illegal miners have caused havoc to the environment and defaced the city centre.

Meanwhile, an expert, Prof. Uriah Lar of the Department of Geology at the University of Jos, in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP, called on the state government to inaugurate a mines police squad to check mate the activities of illegal mining in the state.

According to him, indiscriminate mining activities have caused havoc and damage to agricultural lands as well as the entire environment.

Prof Lar argued that sometime in the course of excavation, the pits collapsed on the miners thereby leading to loss of lives.

The geologist added that this practice also has health implications, as some of these minerals are toxic and have adverse effects on human health.

“Economically, these are commodities that are controlled by the Government. There is a loss of revenue because the commodity is sold without payment of royalties to the Government,” he added.

He also disclosed that the commodity is undervalued because it is sold to anybody at any price to survive.

Prof Lar further said the reason people engaged in illegal mining is as a result of poverty stressing that mining should be done in a civilized and environmentally friendly way.

“Community and religious leaders should sensitize their subjects on the danger of illegal mining. It should be organised so that the government and the individual involved will benefit from the royalty,” he said.