Ebonyi: Three feared dead in mining pit collapse

Three persons were feared killed on Saturday following a mining pit collapse at Enyim Agalegu Community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The incident was said to have occurred at a pit under the mining lease of First Patriots Limited, formerly known as Royal Salt, where illegal mining activities were allegedly ongoing.

When Tribune Online visited the mining site on Sunday, the National Chairman of Enyim Agalegu Edukwu Opeke Federated Union, Oboke Chukwuma Collins, said he received a distress call at about 4 p.m. on Saturday informing him that the pit had caved in on miners.

“Well, it was yesterday afternoon, around four, that I got a call that the site where people are engaged in illegal mining here had collapsed, and I rushed to this place,” he said.

Collins explained that upon arrival, he mobilised community members to the scene, where they removed the overburden covering the victims.

“We evacuated some overburden on top of some lifeless persons, about three of them, and we rescued about four who were injured,” he said.

Mr Collins noted that the community had previously written to the company and the state Ministry of Solid Minerals, requesting that the pit be released to the community for controlled mining after the company allegedly completed work at the main pit.

He described the activity at the site as illegal, noting that all efforts to secure approval from the company had been rebuffed.

“We engaged them in writing, even the Commissioner for Solid Minerals, but they said no. So we, the leadership of the community, backed off from the agitation,” he added.

Collins, who lamented the loss of lives at the site, said the recent deaths bring the total number of persons who have lost their lives there to five.

The State Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Hon. Chidi Onyia, while speaking to journalists at the scene of the incident, attributed the recurring accidents in mining communities to illegal mining activities driven by greed and the quest for quick money.

He stressed that the government was not aware that the site had been abandoned but acknowledged that the ministry had received letters from community leaders last year requesting that the company release part of the site to locals for mining.

Onyia, however, noted that the ministry made it clear that it lacked the authority to grant such approval, as the land is under a private mining lease.

He added that 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. He described the incident as unfortunate and extended condolences to the families of the deceased.

“It is never our interest or intention to lose any of our people who are under our care,” he said.

“This site belongs to First Patriots. Both the state and federal governments are not aware that this site has been abandoned. The site is still very active,” he stated.

“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 added.

The Commissioner also frowned at the fact that some youths often sneaked into the site to mine against the company’s wishes, describing the development as careless.

He, however, cautioned those sponsoring illegal mining operations to avoid exposing young unemployed miners to such risks while they stay away from the dangers themselves.

“It is high time we prioritise lives above monetary value,” he said.

For his part, the lawmaker representing Ikwo North Constituency, Ifeanyi Nwakpu, said he was informed of the collapse on Saturday night by the community leader and immediately contacted the relevant authorities.

Nwakpu confirmed that the three deceased persons had been recovered and deposited in a mortuary, while the four injured victims were receiving treatment in hospital.

“As of now, what I am aware of is three dead persons and four others injured,” he said.

He added that it was not yet clear whether the victims were staff of the company or artisanal miners.

The lawmaker revealed 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.

He also confirmed that he endorsed a letter from the community requesting the release of the site to enable locals remove the overburden and mine it in a controlled manner.

The lawmaker said efforts were ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the collapse and whether more persons might still be trapped.

The Chief Security Officer of First Patriots Limited, Eze Stephen, said security agents had repeatedly tried to stop people from engaging in illegal mining at the site but had been strongly resisted by some villagers.

“There was a time the company wanted to cover it, but the youths mobilised and came here to stop it. They threatened to cause trouble if the company tried to cover it.

“Many times we have tried to stop them from mining illegally, but they have refused. They come both at night and during the day. When they are there, you cannot use force because it is dangerous and you do not want them to fall into the water while running and lose their lives,” he said.