Despite Executive Orders and the looming shadow of death, the illegal mining pits of Plateau State remain packed with thousands of youths. For these men, the risk of being buried alive is a calculated gamble against a much more certain enemy: starvation.
The recent collapse at the Kassa mining site in Barkin Ladi, which left several dead, is just the latest entry in a grim tally. Official 2025 statistics reveal that over 50 youths and women died in mine collapses or bandit attacks last year alone—though local miners insist the real number is much higher.
The “Executive Order 001” Dilemma
In February 2025, Governor Caleb Mutfwang signed Executive Order 001, suspending all mining activities across the state. The move was designed to:
- Curb illegal mining and land degradation.
- Stop the influx of unregulated foreign miners fueling banditry.
- Combat child labor and the drug trade in mining camps.
However, while the government sees a security threat, the youths see a survival lifeline. Despite the ban, new sites are opening in Barkin Ladi and Mangu, where tin and columbite are plentiful.
Voices from the Pits: “Life is a Risk”
Miners at the popular Kassa site told DAILY POST that they aren’t “stubborn”—they are desperate. Their stories reveal a pattern of economic failure and insecurity:
- The Graduate: Patrick Vongman, a B.Sc. holder in Business Administration, has been unemployed for seven years. “I have a wife, three kids, and aged parents. How do I feed them if I don’t take this risk?”
- The Farmer: Dung Joseph noted that banditry has made farming impossible. “Fulani bandits won’t allow you to farm. So what do we do?”
- The Fatalist: Thomas Dimas, who watched five friends get buried alive, says he tells his wife every morning to expect either him or his dead body. “Life must go on; everybody must die one day.”
The “12th Man” of the Economy
The Kassa site has become a bustling underground economy, attracting patrons from as far as Abuja. While lucrative—some miners earn significantly more than they would in white-collar jobs—the crude methods used mean the ground above them is always unstable.
The opposition has labeled the ban “insensitive,” arguing that the government has failed to provide alternatives before snatching away the only viable income source for thousands of families.
