Toyyibat Qasom
Four suspected illegal miners have been killed after an excavation pit collapsed at Tangur community in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The victims reportedly died when the sand excavation site, located along a river line in the community, caved in on Tuesday afternoon.
According to a report by counter-insurgency publication, Zagazola Makama, the incident occurred at about 2:20pm after troops responded to a distress report concerning the collapse involving suspected illegal miners.
The troops reportedly visited the site and confirmed the deaths of four persons.
One of the victims was identified as Mallam Fahad Aliyu, while the identities of the three women who also died in the incident had yet to be established as of the time of the report.
The report said the victims’ relatives subsequently recovered their bodies for burial.
During preliminary inquiries, the troops reportedly engaged the community leader, who said he was unaware of the alleged illegal mining activities at the site.
The circumstances surrounding the excavation and the activities being carried out at the location remain under investigation.
The latest incident has again raised concerns over the dangers associated with unregulated mining and excavation activities, particularly where safety measures and proper supervision may be lacking.
The Plateau deaths occurred barely a week after 37 suspected illegal miners died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.
The 37 miners were reportedly arrested during anti-illegal mining operations conducted on September 15 and 16.
Following the deaths, the Federal Government constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The NSCDC Niger State Commandant and 20 other officers were also suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
Authorities have said the cause of the 37 deaths has not yet been established, with investigations and forensic examinations ordered to determine what happened.
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