Plateau: Residents decry rising illegal mining activities

…As man’s N5 million foundation collapses

 

Daniel Dauda,Jos

 

Unless something is done fast to curb the ugly trending of illegal mining activities in Plateau State, some citizens may wake up one day and discovered their residential areas is no more exist.

 

It is evidence, that the illegal mining activities continues unabated. The scenario has brought both miners and citizens in the state to their untimely death.

 

Daily Champion findings revealed that each of the 17 Local Government Areas  of Plateau has been blessed with  mineral deposit based on their peculiarities. But the invasion of those illegal miners overtime is causing havoc to the environment.

 

The case at hand is one Mr. Obi Eze Adezeji, who secured land along Zarmaganda-Rayfield Road, Jos South Local Government Area, opposite silk-suit, about 3 years ago.

 

Adezeji told Daily Champion that, “for the past few years since I bought the land I keep on having issues with miners there. My neighbour who is a barrister, whom we have been battling those miners together decided on his own to lease out his own land to the miners.

 

“So, we  approached the village head (Mai Anguwa), Mr. Gabriel which in his own wisdom too he called us that he wanted to make peace with us. When we got there the barrister insisted that it is his land, that he will do whatever he wishes to do with his land.

 

“I agreed with him that it is his land but I drew his attention that it is a residential area that mining not supposed to take place there. He still insisted that I should keep away from the land which I did and the village head could not settle us there. Because my attention was drawn by one of our neighbour named Mr. Adewale who just started building there,  surprisingly this morning again , he told me  that the soak-away he dug in the house has collapsed because of the mining activities. And I told him the best way to do is to follow due process because  my life  was threatened when I visited there sometime ago..

 

“It happened that when I went there to see the mining activities taking place in the noon hours, the whole miners there with the so-called people said they owned the land. Diplomatically, I left there, some of them with shovels and other tools already tense, saying it is not my land why should I be  complaining. And if not for the intervention of the security ,I would have been harmed, I therefore left quietly.

 

“My new neighbour named Mr. Adewole who spent almost close to five million Naira (N5,000,000.00) in his foundation now called that his suck away collapsed as a result of illegal mining. And I told him to go back to the village head and report and see how the outcome will be. Previously, when I started my own building I reported the issue of mining through the ministry of Mines. They said we should write another letter again in which the ministry visited the scene of the mining activities about three years ago but currently they didn’t go there.

 

“And opposite there, there is an ongoing construction of Government Estate, although abandoned but the structure there has reached roofing level which it portends danger. I called on the government to do the needful because when things reached to the point of threat to life because on my own there is nothing I can do single handedly except government would come and complete the estate to protect people that are having houses there from collapsing considering hike in building materials and other commodities.

 

“I have roofed and plaster my house but as it is now I cannot do anything because of the mining activities going on. I can only identify individuals who are spearheading the mining activities but I cannot resolve to physical confrontation. The owner of the land who is the Barrister because as of the last meeting we had the Barrister still insisted that it is his land and he can do all that he chooses to do with it.

 

“Definitely the barrister must have had interest on the mining activities taking place there because this is  something that we kick against but  he turned around supporting it.”

 

Also narrating his ordeal, Mr. Adewole Adeosum of Zarmaganda-Rayfield who spent almost five million Naira at the foundation stage  but his foundation  collapsed due mining activities.

 

According to Adeosum, “The day I started my foundation, was the day they started digging the mining just directly opposite. They duck three holes actually, we came there actually and called the Mai Anguwa immediately, he called the barrister that he is not around, that he is in the court and will come thereafter. Immediately he came, he met us on the land and didn’t bother to greet us, he asked us who dug the remaining two holes.

 

“That he gave them permission to dig only one hole and why are they digging more extra holes. After he had done he just spoke a language with the miners and he called his wife and both of them left, living us that brought the complaint.

 

“So later in the evening I called the Mai Anguwa and said this is it and he told yes….actually, he brought the complaint to him formally that by tomorrow morning he want to see both of us and I called my neighbor and other neighbor (Madam Judith) we all converged there in the morning and we all spoke our minds, but  the barrister  was very furious, claiming that what right do we have to report him to the Mai Anguwa?

 

“That we don’t have a right to report him to Mai Anguwa, that it is his property and he chooses whatever he wish to do that if he ventures into our property then we can complain. But we don’t have any right that we came to his house threatening him. That we say we are going to call the lawyer and the press but why we came here threatening him, that he is also a Lawyer and he knows everything.

 

“But we told him we are not threatening rather we only went there to show a concern. Your wife told us that you have been fighting these miners for the past 15 years, and our curiosity is right now after you have been the one fighting them then you’re now given them your own land to mine something is wrong and why are you doing this.

 

“He said that it is his property and he can do whatever he decides to do with it. They used to mine from across. They would start from point A and before you know it, they are in point Z that is how funny they are.

 

“We heard that they are digging from the government estate my neighbor talk about across, fortunately they would dig through the river and down to the portion where they are looking for whatever they are looking for. So that has been the case and unfortunately when you go, it is like a mining site both across and our own part.”