The federal government has shut down a mining location in Zurak, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State following a deadly gas poisoning incident that left at least 37 people dead and 26 others hospitalised on Wednesday.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, ordered the immediate closure of all areas covered by Mining Licence 11810, which is operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited and owned by Abdullahi Dan-China.
The decision followed confirmation that the victims—mainly young artisanal miners between the ages of 20 and 35—were exposed to deadly toxic gases, including carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and lead oxide. The gases reportedly accumulated in a poorly ventilated underground pit at an abandoned lead mining site, leading to the mass poisoning.
In a statement, Segun Tomori, Alake’s spokesperson, said preliminary reports indicate that the company had ceded the pit to the locals for extraction following community demands for empowerment.
He said unaware of the residual minerals’ propensity to emit poisonous gases, the miners entered the confined space, leading to rapid suffocation.
The Plateau police command, which first responded to the early-morning incident around 6am, had cordoned off the area, deployed tactical teams, including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts, while collecting samples of rock, soil, and minerals for forensic analysis.
The police said no evidence of an explosion or explosive devices were found, and attributed the deaths solely to sudden toxic gas discharge.
Alake paid a condolence visit to Caleb Mutfwang, governor of Plateau, over the incident, conveying deep sorrow and solidarity with the people of Wase over the “irreparable loss” of citizens seeking livelihoods.