At least 37 people died in the February gas leak at an illegal mining site in Wase Local Government of Plateau State. Yet, four months later, Adamu Musa can’t forget the days of moods that followed the disaster.
Before sunrise on February 17, 2026, dozens of young miners working at the pit dug into the site to search for mineral veins. But they never returned to the surface.
Survivor Musa told WikkiTimes some workers arriving for their shift discovered bodies littering the tunnel, most collapsing after gas inhalation. He said more than 30 miners died on the spot, while others were evacuated to the hospital.
Police said the victims breathed lead oxide, sulphur and carbon monoxide gases after they were trapped in the ill-ventilated pit. Authorities later sealed off the site.
Most of the miners were young men between the ages of 20 and 35 who were hoping to make a living in one of Nigeria’s poorest states, and they often work without any protective gear, ventilation equipment, or geological studies of the area.
This was not the first deadly mining-related tragedy to occur in Plateau State this year.
Many Incidents
Gunmen attacked another illegal mining site at Capitex, Kuru (Jos South), weeks before the tragedy at around 1 a.m., shooting miners as they tried to steal mineral ore from the pit. Seven were killed in the incident. Security forces later found empty ammunition shells at the site, pointing to an organised incursion likely motivated by the control of mining revenue.
At least 12 artisanal miners were killed in another late-night attack at Atosho (Barkin Ladi) in December 2025, another mineral-rich community where numerous communal groups have fought over control of its deposits.
Four miners were killed in September 2025 when a pit caved in on them at the Dura community in Jos South, and thirteen young miners between the ages 18 and 30 were killed in November 2024 after a similar collapse in Bassa Local Government Area.
The recent incident was in early April, when gunmen ambushed and killed at least three miners while returning from a mining site at Chwel Nyango community in Jos South Local Government.
In May 2024, more than 40 people were killed in an attack on a mining community also in Wase, reportedly linked to resource disputes.
Residents say desperation is driving the trend. Many miners are unemployed youths, some are internally displaced persons, or farmers who abandoned agriculture due to insecurity and declining yields. With mineral buyers readily available, mining becomes the fastest route to income despite the risks.
Security analysts like Chibuike Madubuegwe and Nobert Abah of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, believe that mining pits are increasingly contested spaces where armed groups, local gangs and sponsors compete for control.
Night raids, ambushes and killings often follow disputes over mineral proceeds. The violence has turned several communities into volatile economic enclaves outside government regulation.
Communities bury multiple youths at once. And yet, after each tragedy, miners return to the pits. Because the alternative is unemployment.
Illegal mining has evolved into one of the most complex governance, security and development challenges confronting Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria. While authorities intermittently impose bans, arrests and task forces, unregulated mining continues to expand.
Growing illegal mining economy
Plateau State has historically been Nigeria’s tin mining hub, but the collapse of formal mining structures paved the way for artisanal and illegal extraction. Over the past five years, illegal tin mining has expanded significantly, leaving thousands of abandoned pits across rural and urban communities. The growth is driven by global demand for tin, which is widely used in solar panels, electronics, batteries and grid infrastructure.
In early 2025, the cash price for tin soared to a three-year high, hovering above $40,000/metric ton, making extraction lucrative even without licenses.
Investigations indicate that illegal mining in Plateau involves organised networks of local miners, foreign sponsors, middlemen and export brokers. Some foreign nationals reportedly lease farmlands from communities and finance extraction operations, bypassing regulatory oversight. Despite Nigeria’s Minerals and Mining Act requiring licenses, much of the sector operates outside formal control.
In 2024, the then chairman House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Jonathan Gbefwi, said Nigeria loses $9 billion annually to illegal mining.
This created a parallel resource governance system where profits circulate outside state institutions.
Violence hotspots
Illegal mining in Plateau State has increasingly merged with insecurity. Armed groups, bandits and criminal networks exploit the lawlessness surrounding mining operations, turning sites into flashpoints for violence. Several reports have indicated that mining sites in the state have become hotspots for violence.
Proceeds from illegal mining often fund criminal operations, while mining locations serve as safe havens for armed groups.
The state government itself has linked illegal mining to an influx of foreign miners and criminal activities, including kidnapping, drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession.
Revenue loss and informal wealth
While illegal mining provides income for some local youths, it deprives the government of taxes, royalties and export earnings.
In 2025, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, said despite possessing over 44 different types of solid minerals in commercial quantities across 500 locations, Nigeria’s solid minerals sector has contributed less than 1% to the country’s GDP.
The economic distortion is two-fold. First, minerals are exported illegally, reducing national revenue. Second, illicit profits finance criminal networks and informal power structures.
Some findings reveal that sponsors of illegal mining often fund banditry and cattle rustling to maintain control of mining areas. This creates a cycle in which insecurity protects illegal mining, and illegal mining finances insecurity.
Yet, the sector also provides informal livelihoods. Some participants reportedly use proceeds to build houses, start businesses and support families.
This dual reality complicates government responses. A crackdown without alternative livelihoods risks worsening poverty and recruitment into criminal networks.
Agricultural damage, Child labour, and drugs
Illegal mining has significantly degraded the land in Plateau communities. The proliferation of pits destroys farmland, causes erosion and contaminates water sources. Communities that once depended on agriculture are increasingly abandoning farming for mining, reducing food production and threatening rural livelihoods.
Security experts also believe that environmental degradation increases migration pressures. When farmland becomes unusable, displaced residents move to other communities, sometimes triggering conflicts over land and resources.
Reports show that children and teenagers participate in artisanal mining, often dropping out of school. Drug use is also prevalent in mining camps. Residents in host communities said illegal miners consume substances such as tramadol and local alcohol to endure risky work conditions. The influx of migrants into mining areas has strained local infrastructure and increased crime rates.
Traditional authority structures are also affected. Community leaders sometimes lease land for mining, creating disputes over land ownership and revenue sharing, thereby weakening local governance.
The gaps
Despite repeated bans and enforcement efforts, illegal mining persists. In February 2025, the Plateau State government suspended mining activities statewide due to insecurity and environmental damage. However, enforcement remains inconsistent. The limited follow-up after arrests raises concerns.
In response to the recent gunmen ambush on miners, police in the state on April 4, 2026, directed the enforcement of a statewide ban on night mining and night grazing activities.
Illegal mining networks often include politically connected actors, making enforcement difficult. Security analysts consistently argued that weak licensing systems, poor monitoring and corruption allow illegal operations to flourish. Additionally, governance failures such as youth unemployment and poor service delivery push residents toward mining.
