By Ezra Ukanwa, Abuja

Residents and indigenous people of Abuja are calling on the Federal Government to take immediate action to put an end to atrocious activities of illegal miners in the nation’s capital.

Illegal mining has been a chronic problem in some communities such as Karshi, Kuje, Mpape, Bwari, Kwali, among others, in Abuja, with precious minerals such as gold, tin and marble being illegally extracted from the region’s hills and mountains.

Sunday Vanguard reports that the outcry comes as investigations into the illegal mining activities are deemed insufficient by affected communities which believe that only decisive steps will bring an end to the environmental damage and social problems caused by these activities.

For instance, reports allege that no fewer than 30 people were killed in a landslide caused by the activities of illegal miners in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Miffed at the landslide, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, called on council bosses within the region to establish a robust surveillance task force aimed at closely monitoring mining activities.

The minister emphasized the need to crack down on illegal mining and ensure compliance with regulations governing the sector.

Reacting, some residents of the communities, who spoke to our correspondent, said that despite claims by government to have addressed the issue in the past, the problem has only worsened due to lack of enforcement and surveillance.

Mrs. Fatima Ahmad, a mother of three who lives near an illegal mining site, lamented, “The constant noise from the machinery used in these illegal mining activities is unbearable.

“My children struggle to concentrate on their studies, and we constantly worry about the long-term health effects of the dust and pollution.”

Another resident, Mr. Chukwu Eze, shared a chilling experience he had with illegal mining.

“Last year, there was a cave-in at one of the mining sites, and several workers lost their lives,” he recalled. “It was a horrifying scene, and it made me realize the gravity of this issue. Government must take immediate action to put an end to illegal mining.”

Fear

Speaking on behalf of the Shere community in Mpape, Abuja, Chief Ahmed Ibrahim expressed the frustration and fear that locals face due to illegal mining, alleging that past administration did little or nothing to protect their communities.

“Our land is being ravaged and destroyed by these unscrupulous individuals who pillage our natural resources without any regard for the consequences. Not only does illegal mining cause environmental degradation, but it also provides a haven for criminal activities and exacerbates social problems in our otherwise peaceful communities.

“The lack of stringent measures and enforcement by the authorities has made illegal mining a lucrative business, attracting individuals and criminal organizations from far and wide.

“The negative consequences of this include an increase in crime rates, displacement of indigenous people, and displacement of wildlife as natural habitat is destroyed”.

Another community leader in Karshi, Jonathan Yakubu, asserted that the cracks on the walls of his house were evidence of the devastation wrought on the community by the quarry blasts.

“There are visible signs of cracks in my parlor or even room; if you look at that house over there, you can see that there is a crack and there is a patch, it was not like that before the mining started”, he said. “Mining activities blew off that roof (pointing to another house). There is another house down there; mining activities removed its roof too”.

Recalling an incident, Halimat Umar, a resident of Bwari, Abuja, said: “Our house collapsed partly because of explosions from the quarry. Immediately after the blast that day, the back of our house collapsed. “Thank God, my mother was at home; she noticed that the room was shaking with small stones falling from the roof. She was able to pack some of our belongings. The walls collapsed before she could call our neighbors for help.

“Our house collapsed early this year because of an explosion at the mining site. “The wall separating our three rooms collapsed. When it happened, an old man tried to help us get justice, but he couldn’t do much, so we didn’t have any option but to rebuild it ourselves; we didn’t even plaster it, and that is how the matter died down.”

On his part, another Abuja indigene, Amos Shokwolo, also recounting some of the damages done by illegal miners, said: “The truth is Nigeria is a mess as we speak. The issue of illegal mining has been here for a very long time.

“We pride ourselves as the biggest black nation in the world and the giant of Africa yet we cannot even heal a wound that is gradually becoming rotten.

“Illegal mining has been a monster terrorizing our communities for a long time and all that government, both past and present, claims to do is to investigate.

“All the investigation that we have been hearing all these years, which result has it yielded? “Investigation is a story we have heard for a long time and we have no trust for the process. In fact, illegal mining is political. “Some of these big politicians have their hands deep into it.

“If Wike wants to work, he should immediately issue a ban on it and begin massive arrest of whoever continues mining until this nonsense is stop and sanity restored.”

Common crime

An indigene of Abuja and also the President of National Association of Nigerian Students, FCT Chapter, Comrade Peter Jesse, said: “Illegal mining has become a common crime in different parts of the country with government showing helplessness.

“These guys are extracting at whatever capacity without necessary approval from the authorities. It’s not about whether the company is big or small. It’s because their activities are not known or monitored by government. 

“They continue to pollute the environment with impunity. They take and disappear, polluting the water bodies and farmland in the process. Most times, people don’t even know where these illegal miners come from.

“They enter a community and create problems, which is why every responsible country frowns at people engaging in illegal mining. Since they are not regulated, their standard of operation will not be guided by any rules.

“At this point, it is necessary that the Minister of FCT collaborates with the necessary ministries to ensure that people and companies are properly profiled and given certificates in the mining industry and when that happens the youths that are available for them to use to mine illegally will now be absorbed into mainstream employment and that, in a way, will help to solve the problem.”

Also, a mining engineer with Dangore Group, Bello Abudul, argued that some of these illegal miners are not from the sky, saying that many of them are locals who have decided to go into business of that sort.

“The truth about this mining issue is that as long as we want to paint it or shy away from it, the activities of illegal mining are carried out by locals, even some politicians hands are deep into it, then you begin to talk of some of the foreigners because a foreigner cannot just come from nowhere and take from you from you own land when you have not permitted that person or group”, he said.

“So, I think we need to look inwards and see that we are not doing the wrong things before we start pointing fingers.

“The best thing that government must do is to act now and fast. Time has gone for snail paced actions because gradually we are being exposed to natural disasters as a result of how we have pillaged our environment and destroyed things that keep us safe”.

Environmental challenges

Also speaking on the issue, founder of Civil Society Organization, CSO, Concerned Nigerians, CN, Musa Abdullahi, said: “We strongly condemn the practice of illegal mining and urge government to take immediate and decisive action to put an end to this detrimental activity.

“Illegal mining poses severe environmental, social, and economic challenges that need urgent attention.

“The environmental impact caused by illegal mining is devastating. It leads to deforestation, soil erosion, contamination of water bodies, and destruction of critical habitats for wildlife.

“These activities contribute significantly to climate change and ecological imbalance, threatening our ecosystems and biodiversity.

“Furthermore, illegal mining perpetuates numerous social issues. It is often associated with human rights abuses, including child labor, forced labor and unsafe working conditions.

“It also fuels criminal activities, such as money laundering and organized crime networks, resulting in pervasive corruption and instability within affected communities.

“We call on government to strengthen law enforcement efforts against illegal mining operations.”

Call for action.

The residents called on government to take immediate action to halt illegal mining in Abuja. They believe that without intervention, the negative consequences will only worsen.

They urged government agencies to increase their efforts in regulating and monitoring mining activities, as well as enforcing stricter penalties for those involved in illegal mining.

Festus Chigozie, a resident of Karishi community, said: “Illegal mining activities have been devastating to our communities in Abuja. Government needs to step in and put an end to this immediately. Our environment is being destroyed, and our health and safety are at risk.”

Another resident, Phebe Adamu, after recounting her ordeal, said:  “We cannot continue to allow illegal miners to profit at the expense of our communities.

“It is time for the government to take strict measures to stop this illegal activity and protect our natural resources.

“The presence of illegal miners in our communities brings nothing but chaos. “They pollute our water sources, destroy our farmlands, and leave our environment in ruins. Government must urgently intervene to prevent further damage.”

Adding his voice, a village head in Bwari local government area, Abuja, Peter Ishaya, said: The illegal mining activities in our communities not only strip us of our natural resources but also exacerbate poverty and unemployment among our people. “Government needs to prioritize addressing this issue and providing alternative opportunities for our community members.

“Our communities suffer greatly from the consequences of illegal mining.

“It leads to land degradation, loss of biodiversity, and unregulated use of hazardous chemicals.

“Government must take firm action to protect our environment and the health of our residents.

“As residents of Abuja, we demand that government takes immediate action to stop illegal mining in our communities.

“This activity is not only illegal but also destructive to our natural resources. It is high time the government stepped up its enforcement efforts and implemented stricter regulations to safeguard our communities.”

An NYSC member serving in Abuja, Ebuka Ukanwa, said: “The rampant illegal mining in Abuja has left our communities in a sorry state.

“Our lands are being destroyed, our water sources contaminated, and our livelihoods threatened.

“We need government to intervene and stop this destructive activity.

“Government needs to halt illegal mining operations in our communities. Not only do they harm our environment, but they also pose a serious risk to our health and well-being. We deserve better protection from the authorities.”

QUOTE: Last year, there was a cave-in at one of the mining sites, and several workers lost their lives