Despite a ban on illegal mining in Benue State, the scramble for solid minerals by artisanal and small-scale miners continues unabated, leaving behind environmental devastation and growing health risks. This investigation reveals how unregulated mining in Logo and Kwande Local Government Areas threatens lives and livelihoods, with lead poisoning looming large.
On the evening of January 19, 35-year-old widow Terdoo Tyozenda and her 11-year-old daughter returned from a mining site in Anyiin, bearing plastic bowls of lead ore on their heads. Her daughter absentmindedly put a lead-stained finger in her mouth.
“Mining has become our new farm,” Tyozenda said, lowering her bowl. “Without this (lead ore), we would die of hunger, and I won’t have money to buy basic things like soap.”
She estimated her bowl held about three kilograms of ore. “We sell a kilo at N500 (to local traders), so I think I will make N1,500,” she said. Her husband was killed in a 2023 attack on their village by armed herdsmen, leaving her struggling to survive.
Anyiin, in Logo LGA, now hosts thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs), many of whom—like Tyozenda—have turned to mining to survive. Just 15 kilometres off Akwana Road, women and children dig through the soil with bare hands in search of lead ore and fluorite. Men operate machinery, often without any protective gear. The site resembles a chaotic market, with sacks of minerals waiting for buyers.
Acidic ponds and open pits scar the landscape, especially along Akwana Road and Tyogbenda village. During rainy seasons, residents say these toxic pools overflow into farmlands. In Kwande LGA, gold mining has similarly contaminated water bodies like the River Mbagwa, putting surrounding communities at risk.
A Silent Poison
Experts warn of a slow-moving health crisis. According to Professor Ibiwumi Nwachukwu, a soil scientist at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Benue’s role as a major agricultural state is being undermined by dangerous mining practices.
“When mining of heavy metals like lead is unregulated, the people are exposed to poisoning and the land suffers degradation,” she said. Speaking on the risk of overflowing acid ponds, she added: “If it overflows, it will spill into farmlands. The water will seep into the soil, and the plants will absorb it. That’s diffuse contamination.”
Nwachukwu explained the widespread danger: “Even though I’m far from that place and not directly exposed to the contaminants, I’m still at risk. All the food produced there gets transported across the country.”
Children and women scavenging without protective gear are most at risk. “The poison goes into the body through the skin pores. It may not show immediately, but over time, the effects accumulate,” Nwachukwu explained.
Her warning echoes past tragedies. In 2010, lead poisoning killed at least 400 people in Zamfara. In 2015, 28 children died in Niger State from similar exposure.
Farmlands Gone, Livelihoods Lost
In Kwande LGA, 23-year-old Tyoughnande Tertindi surveyed what used to be his farmland near River Mbagwa. Once rich in cassava and sweet potatoes, his land is now dotted with open pits and prone to flooding.
“My farms worth over a million naira have been destroyed,” he said. “I reported the case to our community’s mining chairman, but nothing has been done.”
Residents say the gold rush in Kwande began in 2017 after a returnee miner, Don Kwas, discovered gold near Agenago village. “After Kwas hit the jackpot, many abandoned farming. They believe a few grams of gold can fetch more than years of hard work,” said Aba Kimbi, a local resident.
Mining Without Guidelines
Andrew Kputu, a geologist and CEO of Gemini Mining and Exploration Ltd, said the problem is rooted in ignorance and lack of regulation.
“They mine haphazardly, without checking if the area holds commercial quantities. They dig, leave open pits, and move on,” said Kputu, who previously served as a special adviser on solid minerals to the former governor of Benue State.
In October 2023, the chairperson of the Benue State Task Force on Illegal Mining, Comfort Akwanya Adau, lamented the situation: “Even under-age children from IDP camps are digging huge pits. Presently, there are no guidelines.”
The state hosts over 500,000 IDPs, according to a January 2025 report by the International Organisation for Migration. Logo alone accounts for over 13,000 displaced persons, while Kwande has nearly 16,000.
Food Insecurity and Economic Fallout
Illegal mining is exacerbating Benue’s food crisis. A study by the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Development found that over 50% of rural households in the state face food insecurity. Another report by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) pegged the rate of moderate or severe food insecurity at 62.2%.
In June 2024, GAIN’s Policy and Advocacy Associate, Toromade Olutayo, warned that environmental degradation and water contamination were worsening the situation.
Raymond Asemakaha, Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company, noted in November 2024 that food prices in Benue remain higher than in neighbouring states—despite its status as Nigeria’s “Food Basket.”
Nigeria Bleeds Billions
Nigeria reportedly loses $9 billion annually to illegal mining. Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, Chairperson of the House Committee on Solid Minerals, said: “The unregulated exploitation of our natural resources leads to environmental degradation and revenue loss.”
Though Benue holds 34 of Nigeria’s 44 known solid minerals, the state reportedly receives just N30 million annually from the federal government. According to Fidelis Mnyim, Chairperson of the state’s Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO), illegal activities and poor documentation have denied the state its due royalties and derivations.
Tensions and Resistance
Section 44(3) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution places mineral resource control under federal authority, but land remains under state governments. This legal grey area often fuels tension between communities and licensed mining firms.
Data from the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office shows that 124 companies hold valid mining titles across 3,725 square kilometres of Benue, with a significant portion along its borders with neighbouring states.
Yet some communities resist these companies. Kimbi, a staff of Adila Nigeria Ltd, recalled how his firm, despite holding a licence, was denied entry by locals. “The government got it wrong from the beginning,” he said.
