The tragic death of seven miners in a collapsed pit in Plateau State has exposed the frightening scale of the danger confronting mining communities across the state, with the Federal Government revealing that more than 4,000 abandoned mine pits are scattered across the area.
The seven miners died on Wednesday evening after an abandoned tin mine pit collapsed at Kassa community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Reacting to the tragedy, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, warned artisanal miners against entering abandoned mining pits without the required licences and permits, describing the deaths as tragic and avoidable.
Alake said the disaster could have been prevented if the miners had organised themselves into a cooperative and obtained the necessary permits to operate legally. Licensed miners, he noted, would also have access to field training through the ministry’s Artisanal Mining Department.
But beyond the latest deaths, the minister’s disclosure has raised fresh concerns over Plateau’s long-standing mining legacy.
According to Alake, more than 4,000 abandoned mine pits were created during decades of tin mining by Amalgamated Tin Mines Limited and its successor companies, Consolidated Tin Mines Limited and Nigerian Tin and Allied Products Limited.
The abandoned sites have remained a major environmental and safety concern, with some becoming dangerous pits and ponds capable of claiming lives.
The legacy dates back to the heyday of tin mining on the Jos Plateau. Historical accounts show that mining activities left thousands of abandoned ponds and pits across the area after the industry declined, creating a long-running environmental problem for communities.
Alake said the Federal Government had already rehabilitated 59 abandoned mine pits as part of efforts to tackle the problem.
He disclosed that the ministry was also deploying technology, including Geographic Information System satellite mapping and Artificial Intelligence, to locate and assess the abandoned pits.
Plateau State is expected to be the pilot beneficiary of the initiative, with plans to develop strategies for reclaiming the sites and preventing them from continuing to endanger residents.
The minister also called on private investors to partner with the government to transform the abandoned pits into productive assets.
According to him, some of the sites could be converted for energy generation, tourism and fisheries, rather than remaining dangerous reminders of the state’s mining past.
Alake described public-private partnership as the fastest and most proactive approach to transforming the abandoned sites.
He said the challenge before the government was to turn the thousands of dangerous pits into productive ventures.
“The challenge before the state and the Federal Government is how to turn these potential pits of death into centres of joyful prosperity,” Alake said.
The latest Kassa tragedy has therefore renewed the pressure on authorities to accelerate the rehabilitation of Plateau’s abandoned mine sites before more lives are lost in the state’s deadly mining legacy.
