A mining pit at an unauthorized site within the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, straddling Taraba and Adamawa states, collapsed recently, tragically killing 22 miners.
Adamu Jamtare, a local miner from Gashaka, told Daily Trust that most of the deceased were from Jamtare town in Gashaka Local Government Area. The miners had reportedly been digging for gold in the Buffa area of the park, which spans Gashaka LGA in Taraba and Toungo LGA in Adamawa. All 22 miners trapped in the collapse are believed to have perished.
Engineer Suleiman Toungo, Chairman of Toungo LGA, confirmed that five bodies had been recovered so far but could not verify the total number of missing miners. He noted that the collapse involved miners from various states across Nigeria, including Zamfara and Adamawa, and occurred nearly a month ago. Despite ranger patrols, illegal miners often operate under cover of night.
Adamawa Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, reported two separate pit collapse incidents, with one resulting in four fatalities and the other causing two deaths and injuring four miners. Nguroje confirmed that police are collaborating with authorities at Gumti National Park to intensify efforts to apprehend those involved in illegal mining activities.
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