How Chinese, Burkinabes mine gold in Zamfara despite ban

Despite the ban on illegal mining in Zamfara State by the Federal Government last year, two Chinese miners were arrested over such activities in the state last week. This gives credence to the allegation by players in the sector that foreigners, especially Chinese nationals and Burkinabes, had flooded mining sites in the state. Speaking on […]

Despite the ban on illegal mining in Zamfara State by the Federal Government last year, two Chinese miners were arrested over such activities in the state last week. This gives credence to the allegation by players in the sector that foreigners, especially Chinese nationals and Burkinabes, had flooded mining sites in the state.

Speaking on the activities of the foreign miners, one of our sources in the state said, “I can tell you that they come with their equipment for the mining business. They employ some of the youths, especially for stone crushing.

“However, many of them left the mining fields after the Federal Government banned their activities, but a lot of them remained.

“You will find some of them in mining fields such as Duza in Anka Local Government, Kwali in Bukuyyum or many other goldmines in Maru and Maradun local government areas.

“I think they have an extensive network. Those from Burkina Faso are more in number than other foreigners.

“The Chinese rented an apartment here in Nasarawa town of Bukuyyum Local Government, where they keep their equipment and or stay for sometime in the course of their business.’’

He further said, “What is surprising is how these foreigners escape attacks by armed bandits despite the fact that they are seen in the different goldmines across the four local government areas considered worst hit by armed bandits.

“You hardly hear that any of them is kidnapped or killed despite the fact that the bandits have been launching a series of deadly raids on these mining sites. This has raised suspicion in many quarters.’’

However, a Nigerian artisinal miner, Ibrahim Kabir, told Daily Trust Saturday that some foreigners fled the mining sites near Dogon Daji community in Maru Local Government Area when they learnt that security operatives were raiding some sites.

According to a resident of one of the sites, Murtala Kawaye, more than 10 illegal mining sites are flourishing in some villages in the local government, including, Kawaye, Mai Galma, Bagega, Dadin Kowa, Duhuwa, Duza and Tungar Daji.

“Among all the mining fields, the prominent, most populated and busiest ones are those in Kawaye, Duza and Mai Galma. And they are mostly the main targets of the armed bandits,” he added.

He further said residents of such sites were making a lot of money from mining activities. He also said it would be very difficult for the miners to stop their activities despite the risk of getting buried alive by underground tunnels, getting attacked and killed by invading gunmen.

It was, however, learnt that some of the artisinal miners are now avoiding the sites for fear of attacks. But few have continued to dig for the gold despite the dangers involved.

Abdullahi Sani, one of the gold diggers, was busy crushing stones and parking the particles aside when our correspondent visited his mining site. Beside him was a very deep pit, dug over the years in search of gold.

Asked what he thought would be his fate now that the Federal Government is enforcing the ban on the activities of miners in the state, he said, “I will go back to my village and engage in another business. I have been in this gold digging business for many years.

“I came from Tambuwal Local Government Area in the neighbouring Sokoto State. But I believe I am quitting a job I cherish most. However, I will accept whatever life offers next in good faith.’’

Also, a teenager beside him, who simply gave his name as Aliyu said, “I am earning a living here and I am quite aware of the dangers associated with this kind of business, including the collapse of tunnels, which could bury miners (it happened in other mining fields) and attacks by armed bandits, which can also be deadly.’’

Some of the gold diggers at popular Bagega and Bindin mining sites told Daily Trust Saturday that the ban had seriously affected their means of livelihood.

“I heard long ago that the state government would chase miners away from their sites. Where are we going to? I can tell you that most of us here do not have any other business, therefore, closing down these gold mines would cause untold hardship to us,’’ Aminu Hassan, a miner said.

Although the host communities were fully sensitised on the dangers of arstisinal mining activities, some residents still engage in it.

When our correspondent asked a middle-aged man why he engaged in mining activities without wearing any safety gear, he said, “I don’t know anything about protective gears. I have been doing it like that and nothing has happened to me. But I will use one if it is made available to me. The grinding machine doesn’t belong to me. I was only hired to do the job of stone crushing.

It was further learnt that a lot of youths are making brisk business from the mining activities. And there is a ready market for the gold because dealers from neighbouring countries flood the mining sites.

The miners don’t need to go to Gusau to sell the gold as it is marketed right at the mining fields.

A miner who did not want his named mentioned told Daily Trust Saturday that he left the mining sites shortly after government authorities announced ban on all mining activities in the state.

“I obtained exploration licences from the Federal Ministry of Mining and the Zamfara State Ministry of Commerce and Industry. After that, I looked for investors to make the business succeed. That was what gave birth to my mining processing company,’’ he said.

He further explained that miners in his company were instructed not to dig very deep beneath the earth crust so as to avoid accidents.

“There is a certain depth the miners cannot go beyond. We have brought excavators to expand the mining pits so as to minimise the rate of accidents at the sites. Also, all necessary safety gears were provided for them,’’ he said.

On the infiltration of illegal miners, he said 50 per cent of youths in the rural communities were jobless; hence they found illegal mining activities as a means of survival. He said a lot of such youths had made huge financial gains from the goldmines, which spread across the rural communities in the state.

“We still monitor their activities because stopping the youths from going to the goldmines would amount to inviting more societal ills,’’ he added.

On the enforcement of the ban, the police in Zamfara State recently raided several mining outfits and arrested two Chinese.

The spokesman of the command, SP Muhammad Shehu, said they earlier received information that some foreigners, in conjunction with unpatriotic Nigerians, engaged in illegal mining activities in Kwali, Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the state.

“On the strength of the information, the state commissioner of police, Mr Usman Nagogo, led a special task force to Kwali mining sites to assess the situation.

“The information proved to be credible as hundreds of miners ran away as soon as they saw the team. Two labourers were, however, arrested. They confirmed the presence of Chinese and Burkinabes at the sites, among others.

“Later, information had it that a Chinese and a Burkinabe were taking shelter somewhere in Nasarawar Burkullu. So, the commissioner of police led another team to the same village where two Chinese were seen with all the chemicals for gold.

The two Chinese, identified as Mr Wang and Mr Chun, have been interrogated and transferred to Force Headquarters in Abuja,’’ Shehu said.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Mines and Solid Mineral Development, Dr Nurudeen Isah, did not respond to Daily Trust Saturday’s inquiry on the activities of artisinal miners in the state. “Call back later,’’ he told our correspondent. However, hours later, the commissioner was not reachable.