Three people were killed on Saturday when a mining pit collapsed in Enyim Agalegu, a community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria’s South-east.
Apart from the deceased victims, four other people were injured during the incident.
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The pit was said to be under the mining lease of First Patriots Limited, formerly known as Royal Salt, and that illegal mining activities were allegedly ongoing in the area.
The National Chairperson of Enyim Agalegu Edukwu Opeke Federated Union, Collins Oboke, confirmed the incident to reporters at the scene of the incident on Sunday.
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Mr Oboke said he visited the place after receiving a distress call around 4 p.m. on Saturday, in which the caller informed him that the pit had collapsed in on miners.
The national chairperson explained that upon arrival, he mobilised community members to the scene.
“We evacuated some overburden on top of some lifeless people, like three of them, and we rescued about four that were injured,” he said.
Mr Oboke recalled that the community had previously written to the company and the Ebonyi State Ministry of Solid Minerals, requesting that the pit be released to the community for controlled mining after the company completed work at the main pit.
He argued that mining activities at the pit had been illegal and that the company rebuffed the community’s request to take over the pit for controlled mining.
“We engaged them (the company) in writing, even to the state commissioner for solid minerals, but they said no. So we, the leadership of the community, backed off from the agitation,” he said.
The national chairperson lamented the loss of lives at the site, pointing out that the recent deaths brought the total number of people who have lost their lives at the site to five.
‘It’s unfortunate’
Also speaking to reporters at the scene on Sunday, the Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development in Ebonyi State, Chidi Onyi, described the incident as unfortunate.
“It is never our interest or intention to lose some of our people who are under our care,” he said, expressing sympathy for the families of the deceased.
Mr Onyi attributed the recurring accidents in mining communities to illegal mining driven by greed.
“This site belongs to First Patriots. Neither the state nor the federal government is aware that this site has been abandoned. The site is still very active,” he stated.
The commissioner added that the ministry had received letters from community leaders last year requesting that the company release part of the site for local mining.
He, however, noted that the ministry informed them that it lacked the authority to grant such approval since the land was under a private mining lease.
Mr Onyi said officials, including himself and the member representing Ikwo North Constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Ifeanyi Nwakpu, had visited the site several times to address the matter.
“The company vehemently said no and gave their reasons. They said that the pit is already dangerous and not the kind of place you allow artisans to work,” he narrated.
He added that some youths often sneaked into the site to mine against the company’s wishes, describing the situation as carelessness.
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The commissioner noted that those sponsoring illegal mining operations often avoid the risks while young, unemployed miners bear the consequences.
“It is high time we prioritise lives above monetary value,” he said.
Bodies of deceased people recovered
Also speaking, the lawmaker representing Ikwo North Constituency, Mr Nwakpu, said he was informed of the pit collapse on Saturday night by the community leader, which prompted him to contact the relevant authorities immediately.
He confirmed that the bodies of three deceased persons had been recovered and deposited in a mortuary, while the four injured victims were receiving treatment at a hospital.
“As of now, what I am aware of is three dead persons and four other persons injured,” he said.
He added that it was not yet clear whether the victims were company staff or artisanal miners.
Mr Nwakpu recalled that he had previously advised the company to either close the pit if it was no longer in use or properly secure it to prevent further casualties.
The lawmaker also said he endorsed a letter from the community requesting the release of the site to allow locals to remove the overburden and begin controlled mining operations at the site.
He said efforts were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the collapse and if additional people were still trapped.
Why couldn’t they stop illegal miners at the site
On his part, the Chief Security Officer of First Patriots Limited, Stephen Eze, said security agents had repeatedly tried to stop people from engaging in illegal mining at the site, but villagers had resisted them.
“There was a time the company wanted to cover it, but the youth remobilised and came here and stopped it. They threatened to cause trouble if the company tried to cover it.
“They come both at night and in the day. And when they are there, you can’t fire at them because it is dangerous and you don’t want to make them fall into the water while running and die,” he said.
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