By Jelili Gbadamosi
Residents of Mayo-Kam in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State have called for an investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding mining activities in the community, accusing security personnel of restricting indigenes from accessing local mining sites.
The residents alleged that miners from Zamfara, Katsina, Lagos, Gombe and other parts of the country were allowed to operate at the Gildan Star and Gildan Boss mining sites, while members of the host community were allegedly denied similar access.
The development has sparked concerns over the fairness of the state’s efforts to regulate mining activities and ensure that communities hosting mineral resources benefit from their exploitation.
An elder in the community, Abubakar Tanko, said residents had been prevented from accessing the sites despite their interest in engaging in mining activities.
“Our people are not even allowed to have access to the mining site because the security operatives there won’t allow us,” he alleged.
The traditional ruler of Mayo-Kam, Sarki Baka Shaibu Haruna Mayo-Kam, also urged the state government to investigate the allegations and address concerns over the treatment of indigenes.
The monarch further linked recent safety concerns in the area to changes in the security personnel deployed to the mining locations.
He said the community had not previously recorded mining-site collapses of the nature recently reported until some security personnel were withdrawn and replaced.
The controversy comes amid an unverified report that a mining site in Mayo-Kam collapsed, allegedly killing at least 20 miners.
However, the exact location of the incident, the identities of the affected miners and operators, the circumstances surrounding the collapse and the official casualty figure have not been independently confirmed.
Adding to the concerns, Idris Danladi, the governor’s special adviser on marketing and an indigene of Mayo-Kam, alleged that some security personnel collected money from miners in exchange for access to the sites, particularly during the night.
Danladi said such alleged conduct could undermine the Taraba State Government’s efforts to bring mining activities under effective regulation.
He noted that Governor Agbu Kefas had engaged artisanal miners and other stakeholders as part of efforts to improve compliance with government directives.
Some residents have also accused a member of the Taraba State House of Assembly of collaborating with security personnel to marginalise the community. The lawmaker, however, denied the allegation and said he had been working to implement the governor’s directives.
Reacting to the allegations, the Taraba State Police Command said it was not aware of any misconduct by its personnel.
The command’s spokesperson, Victor Mshelizah, said monitoring was ongoing and that any officer found culpable would be sanctioned.
“Regarding this, the command is not aware of such act, though observation is in progress to monitor and punish anyone found,” he said, adding that police officers had been cautioned against wrongdoing.
The allegations have now placed renewed focus on the operations of mining companies and security arrangements at the sites.
Residents are demanding greater transparency over the licensing and ownership of Gildan Star and Gildan Boss, the agencies responsible for supervising their activities and the conditions under which miners are permitted to operate.
Beyond the question of access, the reported mining-site collapse has heightened concerns about safety standards and the need for authorities to establish what happened and whether required safety regulations were observed.
For communities in Mayo-Kam, the dispute goes beyond access to mineral resources. Residents are seeking assurances that mining activities will be conducted lawfully, that local people will not be excluded from legitimate economic opportunities and that adequate measures will be put in place to protect miners from preventable accidents.
