The Plateau State Government and the scores of residents of the state involved in illegal mining may soon clash over the insistence of the perpetrators to continue to defy Governor Simon Lalong’s order that they should put an end to the activities.
The illegal miners have ignored warnings from Governor Lalong that they should steer clear from the various mining sites in the state.
With the boom being recorded by persons involved in illegal mining activities in the state, new mining sites have been springing up in many new locations in addition to the previous ones, resulting in many people in the state abandoning their legitimate jobs and vocations to make quick money from mining business.
Our correspondent gathered that many civil servants, private security guards, salon owners, commercial motorcyclists, traders, housewives and even prostitutes had abandoned their trades for the illegal mining business in the state.
At the various sites of the illegal mining business, our correspondent observed that the illegal trade had been booming and life had been on the upscale.
A visit to places such as Helpang, Du, Zawan, KwangShen, Bukuru and Lamigo revealed that mining activities and social life went on simultaneously round the clock.
However, analysts have said that the involvement of many residents in the illegal business may not be unconnected with the prevailing hardship in the country.
Aside from government’s warning to the illegal miners, death is recorded almost on a daily basis inside the mines.
Last week, one of the illegal miners was found dead at the Lamigo mining site near Lamigo Dam, after he was said to have been attacked by a strange creature while working in the mine during the night.
In spite of the danger involved in the illegal mining activities, many residents said it remained the quickest means of making fortunes.
One of the miners, Pam Dung, said he had been making more money from the illegal mining business than his civil service job.
Dung told our correspondent that he would only report in his office from 7:30am to 10:00am before rushing to Kwang-Shen road, where he would work in the mines for about nine hours.
He said, “As you can see, there are over 45 groups working separately and each has membership of 25 to 30.
In our group, we réalise between N2million and N3million every week and the sharing formula is determined by the number of hours one works, your strength and age.”
Another resident, John Gyang Baba, said that he abandoned his motorcycle business for mining because he made close to N10, 000 daily against the N2,000 he was getting from his Okada business.
A few weeks ago, the operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps paraded eight persons arrested in connection with illegal mining activities in Jos.
During a past violent clash between illegal miners in Jos South and Bassa Local Government Areas of the state, no fewer than 10 persons were killed. But the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Peter Ogunyanwo, confirmed that only six persons lost their lives, when miners from Gyel in Jos South and Miango in Bassa, had a dispute that turned violent.
