At least 11 people have been killed in a midnight attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists at a gold mining site in Karaga, a village near the group’s hideouts in the Alawa forest reserve in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
Local and security sources confirmed that the attack occurred on February 27, targeting artisanal miners from the garrison town of Bassa and its surrounding hamlets.
Bassa, which was previously devastated by multiple Boko Haram attacks, saw residents return in mid-2024 following the deployment of soldiers. However, since October, after suffering losses in a failed assault on Bassa, the terrorists have intensified guerrilla-style attacks, including planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and raiding nearby villages lacking military presence.
During the October gunfight, five members of the Boko Haram faction led by Mallam Sadiku were killed, including an IED expert, Baba Adamu, according to ex-members who recently defected. Security sources suspect the 27 February attack was retaliation for that loss.
The terrorists struck while miners, including women and minors, were asleep. They killed all adult men on sight while sparing women and children aged 10 to 12, a local vigilante told Premium Times. Two hunters who were sleeping at the site were also killed.
Ibrahim Tanko, a resident of Bassa, confirmed that 11 people were killed and two others were hospitalised at General Hospital, Minna. Seven of the deceased were buried near the mining site, while the rest were laid to rest in Bassa town.
This is the latest in a series of attacks on mining sites in Niger State, many of which have gone unreported. Since 2022, more than five attacks have targeted mining sites. In June 2022, about 30 soldiers and over 10 civilians, including police officers, were killed in an attack on a mining site in Ajata-Aboki, Shiroro LGA, where four Chinese expatriates were also kidnapped.
On 21 August 2024, 13 artisanal miners were killed in a raid on a mining site in Unguwar Magiro, Rafi LGA, an area that previously suffered a 2015 lead poisoning outbreak that affected 2,500 children and claimed at least 30 lives.
Due to the worsening insecurity, the Niger State Government has banned illegal mining. However, despite the ban, mining operations continue in terror-prone areas like Kurebe.
