Mad rush for precious stones in Taraba

Deep down the valley of Mayo-Sina in Nguroje area of Sardauna local government council of Taraba State lies a massive land which has turned treasure chest for local miners who throng the place daily in search of precious stones, mainly blue sapphires. Since the discovery of the place by some local miners in December 2013, […]

Deep down the valley of Mayo-Sina in Nguroje area of Sardauna local government council of Taraba State lies a massive land which has turned treasure chest for local miners who throng the place daily in search of precious stones, mainly blue sapphires. Since the discovery of the place by some local miners in December 2013, life has not remained the same for the people of Mambilla Plateau especially those from Nguroje, Gembu, Maisamari, Nduyaji, Kakara and other neighboring communities.
The former grazing land is now witnessing beehive of activities as young men, women, school children and the aged marshal their energy in excavation, seeking the life-changing gems, popularly called by locals ‘blue’. Many have since shifted base from their various communities and have come to settle down in this new place because of its remoteness from their localities coupled with the inaccessible nature of the road leading to the site.
Over 10,000 people are said to be currently settled in this mining village popularly known as ‘Blue Village’ while more have continued to troop in both for mining and other trading activities. There is a local market where all categories of commodities ranging from foodstuff to clothing materials are sold.
Though the road leading to Blue Village is rough, locals still brave all odds to get there. When Weekly Trust visited, miners were observed going about their jobs without minding the associated risks with such illegal mining activities, especially with reports that some of them had in the past died in the process.
Of interest at this mining site is the active involvement of many women, young and old, in the energy-sapping job with some of them strapping babies on their backs while doing the job. Gladys Jazra is a mother who travelled all the way from Gembu to the mining site to see if she could dig her way to riches and turn around the fortunes of her family. According to her, she and her husband have been coming to Blue Village for the past 10 months and would usually spend about two to three weeks before returning home.
Intimating Weekly Trust on how they go about searching for sapphires, Gladys said they would first of all identify a particular location and begin digging out the ground, which is usually muddy because of the waterlogged nature of the soil. Then they would put some sizable quantity of the muddy soil into a sack and take it to the flowing river to wash out the dirt and reveal the gems. “After washing it, you will then pour everything on the ground and start searching for the blue sapphire carefully. If you are lucky, you may find one but if not, you will still go back and continue the process like that all over,” she said.
Gladys, who said mining was tedious for her as a woman, as she often experiences back and waist pain, added that she enjoyed it all the same. She said the highest income she had made since she has been mining is N5,000. She said she would quit if she is lucky enough to find a larger quantity of the precious stones.
Weekly Trust learnt the cost of each precious stone varies depending on the sizes, with the large sizes said to sell for millions of naira. Sapphires are worn in jewellery and are found naturally, by searching through certain sediments (due to their resistance to being eroded compared to softer stones) or rock formations. They also may be manufactured for industrial or decorative purposes. Because of their remarkable hardness, they are also used in some non-ornamental applications, including infrared optical components. Although blue is their most well-known colour, sapphires may also be colourless and are found in many colours including shades of gray and even black.
Patience Benson, a mother, is another woman who has engaged herself in the business. She told Weekly Trust that she had been at the mining site for over a week but luck was yet to smile at her. She usually retires to one of the makeshift structures built around the site at the end of a hectic day’s job. Other women at the mine site, including one Maryama Muhammadu, said women working on site would appreciate if the government can provide them with other means of empowerment.
Janet Genesis, 14, said she left school and joined her mother at the mining site to see if she could raise some money to pay her school fees. She said life at the site was hectic as she only managed to get a mat to sleep in one of the makeshift structures, adding that miners usually get their drinking and bathing water from a river in the area. Then there’s Yunusa Ahmadu, 19, is a student and he told Weekly Trust he had toiled on the site for over three weeks in search of sapphires, but was yet to get any.
Chairman of the local miners association, Alhaji Babaji Buba, said the discovery of sapphires has brought fortune to many in the surrounding communities, stressing that criminal activities have reduced. He said he had been into mining business for over 20 years, explained that he discovered in December 2013 that the area would be rich in blue sapphire and sent some labourers there who dug and confirmed it. Full mining activities began in the area since December 16, 2013 and officials were put in place to control activities.
Buba said buyers come from Guinea, Senegal, Sri Lanka and Thailand to patronize them, adding that the cost of the gems depend on the size.
The chairman said challenges facing the miners include lack of health centres, water, road and telecommunication networks and he stressed the need for government to assist in providing these amenities, as it is a new settlement. The mining activities, though illegal, have improved the economic well-being of the people and helped in reducing the rate of crime, especially amongst youths in the area. Many unemployed youths who hitherto engaged in various vices are now gainfully employed, he said.
However, the activities of the miners are generating controversy as the legal occupants of the land being used for mining have cried out that their grazing reserves have been seized by the miners, without any compensation. They complained that apart from their grazing reserves which were being destroyed, the miners had gone ahead to open up new settlements in the area without their consent. One of the affected land-owners, Alhaji Ardo Abdullahi, said they had written several letters of complaint to the Sardauna Traditional Council, Sardauna Local Government Chairman and security agencies to halt the illegal mining and erection of new settlements, but nothing was done.
It was alleged that the Sardauna Local Government Authority as well as the Sardauna Traditional Council benefit from the mining activities, and as such failed to take steps in addressing the complaints emanating from the land-owners. “The illegal miners have blocked our cattle’s drinking points and our cows are in various kinds of danger,” a letter of complaint to the Sardauna Traditional Council read in part.
The affected communities also in a recent letter to the Chief of Mambilla, appealed for a removal of the new settlement and a stop to “indiscriminate destruction of grazing land” which is said to be generating tension in the area.
The group lamented in the letter that some officials appointed by the government are now allocating plots to individuals. According to the group, arrangements are on by the local council to build a primary school, healthcare centre, a market place and a graveyard without the consent of the rightful owners of the land or following due process.
When contacted, an aide to the Chief of Mambilla, Wakili Abdulmalik said the Chief of Mambilla, Dr Shehu Audu Baju II, had met with the parties before and he is currently finding a way of bringing leaders together again in order to bring a lasting solution to the impasse.
Chairman of Sardauna local government area, Dr David Jedua, dismissed allegations that the council was getting revenues from the illegal mining activities. He said asking the miners to quit the land and relocate was not something that can be handled by the council alone.
“The state and federal governments are aware of the issue, they should intervene and settle the differences,” Jedua said. He added that the council on its part has been making efforts to bring the leaders of the land owners and the miners together to fashion out an amicable way of resolving the matter.
The chairman said the new settlement was one of the fastest growing in the council and that efforts were being made to provide security in the area to control the activities of the people to avoid infiltration of criminal elements into the area.