Not less than 22 miners are feared dead following the collapse of an illegal mining pit located in the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, which spans both Gashaka Local Government Area in Taraba State and Toungo Local Government Area in Adamawa State.
The tragedy unfolded as miners were illegally extracting gold from a hazardous zone known as Buffa, a remote area within the park that has become notorious for unregulated mining activities.
Adamu Jamtare, a miner from Gashaka, explained that most of the victims were from Jamtare town, a community within Gashaka LGA. “They were mining in the Buffa zone within the park, and all 22 miners trapped in the collapsed pit are believed to be dead,” he said.
Toungo LGA Chairman, Engineer Suleiman Toungo, confirmed the grim discovery of five bodies but noted that the total number of fatalities remains unclear.
“The incident, which involved miners from several states, including Zamfara and Adamawa, occurred almost a month ago. The collapse happened in an area that’s difficult to access, making recovery efforts slow,” he added.
Despite the area being under patrol by park rangers, illegal mining continues to flourish, especially under the cover of night. “So far, five bodies have been recovered, but we’re still uncertain how many others remain trapped,” Toungo said.
The Gashaka-Gumti National Park, renowned for its rich mineral deposits, has witnessed a troubling rise in fatalities linked to unregulated mining.
Last year alone, around 70 miners reportedly died in similar accidents, though many of these deaths were not officially documented, according to an anonymous resident of Tila village.
Meanwhile, Adamawa Police Public Relations Officer SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje confirmed two recent fatalities from separate mining pit collapses. In one case, four miners lost their lives, and in another, six miners were involved, with two confirmed dead and four others injured.
Nguroje emphasised that the police are working closely with authorities from the Gashaka-Gumti National Park to track down those responsible for these illegal mining operations and bring them to justice.
