Two people were killed while three others sustained injuries in Ebonyi State last weekend when a pit collapsed in the South-eastern state.
The incident happened at Ajirija, a lead mining site in the Ihietutu Community, Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of the state.
Owned by a Nigerian, Henry Ahanaotu, the site was said to have been parcelled out and subleased to unlicensed petty miners operating without professional supervision.
The affected pit was being managed by a female indigene of the Ihietutu Community, Lovelyn Victor.
An indigene of the community, who asked not to be named, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) 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 resulted in the death of two persons and left several others injured, yet no sanctions were imposed on the site owner or the illegal operators.
“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,” the indigene said.
Reacting, Mr Ahanaotu described the incident as unfortunate, but said that he subleased the site to the operators as a means of empowering the youths of the community.
He confirmed that Mrs Victor was managing the mining site and argued that she is an established miner with over four excavators and other heavy equipment.
“Mining pit collapse is a regular occurrence anywhere mining is carried out.
“Even Royal Salt, touted as the biggest mining firm in Nigeria, experiences incidents of pit collapse with attendant deaths,” he said.
“The incident happened last weekend, but we have yet to visit the scene to inspect and know why it occurred.”
Mr Ahanaotu said he phoned the Federal Mines Officer to brief him about the latest incident.
“But as for carrying out operations based on safety principles, she (Mrs Victor) does it well.
“She is also in partnership with other operators on the site. All we are doing is to help empower the people,” he said.
Police speak
The police spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Joshua Ukandu, has confirmed the incident.
Mr Ukandu, a superintendent of police, said a report from the Ivo Police Division indicated that five persons, not six as earlier reported by community members, were involved in the accident.
“The first victim died on the spot, while another died in the hospital. The remaining three have been treated and discharged,” he said.
Women miners react
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Federation of Women Miners in Ebonyi State, Sylvia Ogbuinya, has expressed regret over the tragedy and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
Ms Ogbuinya said the operator of the affected pit was not a member of the federation and called for a “full-scale police investigation” into the incident.
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“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,” she said.
Some indigenes of Ihietutu, who also spoke to NAN on the incident, asked 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,” said one of the indigenes.
“We are appealing to relevant authorities to enforce laws against illegal and unlicensed mining in our community.”