At least 22 miners are feared dead following a tragic collapse of a mining pit in Taraba State, within the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, an area stretching across Gashaka Local Government Area in Taraba and Toungo Local Government Area in Adamawa.
The collapse occurred at an illegal mining site in the Buffa zone of the park, where miners from various states, including Zamfara and Adamawa, were extracting gold. Adamu Jamtare, a local miner from Gashaka, confirmed the incident, stating that most of the victims were from Jamtare town. “They were mining gold illegally when the pit collapsed.
All 22 miners trapped in the site are presumed dead,” he reported. The collapse reportedly happened nearly a month ago, but ongoing challenges have delayed recovery efforts.Engineer Suleiman Toungo, Chairman of Toungo LGA, stated that five bodies have been recovered, with others still missing. The Gashaka-Gumti National Park, known for its mineral wealth, has been the site of multiple unregulated mining operations, despite regular patrols by park rangers. These operations, often conducted under cover of darkness, have led to multiple fatalities over recent years.
A Tila village resident reported that around 70 miners died in similar incidents last year. These tragedies, however, often remain unreported due to the remote locations and the unregulated nature of the work. Adamawa Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, confirmed recent incidents involving fatalities. In one case, four miners died, while another incident left two dead and four injured. Nguroje stated that the police are coordinating with park authorities to apprehend those behind the illegal mining activities, which continue to endanger lives and disrupt the ecosystem.
