Tragedy struck at the Ajirija lead mining site in the Ihietutu Community, Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, during the weekend, when a pit collapsed, leaving two persons dead and three others critically injured.
The site, reportedly owned by one Henry Ahanaotu, was said to have been parcelled out and sublet to unlicensed petty miners operating without professional supervision.
The affected pit was allegedly being managed by an indigene of Ihietutu, Lovelyn Victor.
An indigene of the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the incident was one in a series of unreported tragedies at the site.
He recalled that a similar incident earlier in the year also claimed two lives and left several others injured, yet no sanctions were imposed on the site owner or the illegal operators.
The source said, “Unfortunately, these incidents and deaths only end with the police, if at all. There has never been any punishment for the site owners or illegal miners, who put lives at risk.’’
Reacting, Mr Ahanaotu described the incident as unfortunate but said that he sublet the lease to the operators as a means of empowering youths of the community.
He argued that Ms Victor was an established miner with over four excavators and other heavy equipment.
Mr Ahanaotu stated, “Mine pit collapse is a regular occurrence anywhere mining is carried out. Even Royal Salt, touted as the biggest mining firm in Nigeria, experiences incidences of pit collapse with attendant deaths. The incident happened last weekend, but we have yet to visit the scene to inspect and know why it occurred. I have also called the Federal Mines Officer to brief him. But as for carrying out operations based on safety principles, she does it well. She is also in partnership with other operators on the site. All we are doing is to help empower the people.’’
The spokesman for the state police command, Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the incident.
Mr Ukandu said a report from the Ivo Police Division indicated that five persons were involved in the accident, contrary to the six reported by community members.
“Five persons were actually involved in the unfortunate incident. The first victim died on the spot, while another died in the hospital. The remaining three have been treated and discharged,” Mr Ukandu said.
Meanwhile, the state Chairperson of the Federation of Women Miners, Sylvia Ogbuinya, has expressed regrets over the tragedy and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
Ms Ogbuinya said that the operator of the affected pit was not a member of the federation and urged a full-scale police investigation into the incident.
“We carry out regular training and workshops for our members to bring them up to speed with modern safety standards in mining operations to safeguard lives. I have checked, and the affected operator is not a member of the federation. We wonder if she adheres to normal safety principles and regular environmental impact assessments to mitigate risks,” Ms Ogbuinya said.
Some indigenes of Ihietutu, who also spoke on the incident, called on the state and federal mining authorities to check the activities of unlicensed and illegal miners in the area.
“These illegal miners are only concerned with profit and do not comply with regulatory standards, thereby endangering lives and the ecosystem. Collapsed pits resulting in deaths have become a regular occurrence in our community, putting families in constant agony. We are appealing to relevant authorities to enforce laws against illegal and unlicensed mining in our community,” they said.
(NAN)