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Bazakwoi Mine Collapse: Three Dead, One Injured

Written by Jerry Alomatu on June 14, 2024

News Views: 58

Another mine collapse occurred at Bazakwoi of Adunu Community in Paikoro Local Government Area, Niger State. The collapse at an illegal gold mining site resulted in the deaths of three miners and injuries to one person.

The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed that no individuals were trapped in this incident, thus negating the need for a rescue operation.

Community and Official Responses

Families of the miners trapped at the Shiroro site have held prayers, believing their relatives to be deceased. An anonymous government official confirmed that some families had already conducted the Muslim seven-day Fidau prayer. Current rescue efforts, which rely on manual labor by artisanal miners using basic tools, have drawn criticism for their inefficiency and potential dangers.

The Lakpma Youth Forum in Niger State issued a statement condemning the inadequate response and lack of contingency planning by African Minerals and Logistics Limited, owners of the Shiroro mine. The forum’s spokesman, Abdullahi Erena, criticized the reliance on manual labor and inadequate equipment for rescue operations, stressing the need for improved safety measures to prevent future tragedies.

Calls for Improved Safety and Accountability

The forum also called for increased government intervention to address insecurity in the Lakpma axis of Shiroro LGA. They stressed that illegal miners and other elements exploit the situation, perpetuating a regime of impunity.

Former chairman of Shiroro LGA, Suleiman Dauda Chukuba, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and urged the company, along with state and federal governments, to provide clarity on the fate of those still trapped in the Shiroro mine.