By Lillian Okenwa
Although 11 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have approached the Supreme Court challenging the powers of President Bola Tinubu to suspend a democratically elected structure of a state, with Governor Siminalayi Fubara insisting that the target is the resources in oil-rich Rivers State, not a few Nigerians are wondering when a state of emergency will be declared in Zamfara state where terrorists and bandits are freely exploiting the state’s minerals including gold, copper and lithium.
Many are also wondering when beyond rhetoric, the government will deal decisively with the killers rampaging Plateau state.
On Tuesday, 8 April, Caleb Muftwang, the governor of Plateau State, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today raised alarm over the worsening security situation in his state, revealing that about 64 communities have been taken over by bandits.
According to him, “These communities that have been recently attacked were part of the communities that were attacked in 2023 but they survived it and rebuilt themselves… The Ruwi community that was first attacked lost about 17 people in 2023, but they bounced back to show you the resilience of the people.
In the past week, more than 50 people have been reported killed in renewed attacks across five communities, with over 300 houses set ablaze by suspected herdsmen. The violence has reignited national concern over the persistent insecurity plaguing the North-Central region. Benue state has also had an enormous dose of widespread wanton killings from rampaging mauraders.
In his article, Can Nigeria stop bandits from exploiting Zamfara’s minerals?, Malik Samuel, a Senior Researcher with Good Governance Africa in Nigeria revealed that bandits have maintained control over mining sites in Zamfara with the government appearing helpless.
Below is a reproduction of his article.
Zamfara State is one of Nigeria’s minerally-rich states with huge deposits of gold, copper and lithium. In the same vein, the state has, over the years, become one of the most insecure in the country, where illegal mining has become intricately linked with banditry, a form of organized crime involving armed groups engaged in cattle rustling, kidnapping, and violent attacks on communities. As a result, these resources have become a double-edged sword, attracting illegal artisanal miners and criminal groups who exploit the minerals for profit with the extensive participation of thousands of ordinary people seeking livelihood. These mine labourers are made to work in often unsafe and exploitative conditions rife with intimidation by the armed groups.
In 2019, the Nigerian federal government imposed a ban on mining in the state as part of efforts to address rising insecurity. Two years later, this was followed with an imposition of a no-fly zone over the state. Authorities believed that illegal mining fuelled insecurity and that illegally mined gold was being ferried out of the state using private aircrafts, with proceeds used to smuggle in weapons.
However, the policy faced immediate challenges. Bandits maintained control over mining sites, making it nearly impossible for government officials to enforce the ban. Community members involved in artisanal mining told Good Governance Africa (GGA) that the presence of armed groups at these sites remained largely unchallenged by security forces. This undermined the effectiveness of the ban, leaving a significant gap in resource governance.
Ineffective ban
Data from the Nigeria Security Tracker, a Council of Foreign Relations project, on security outcomes during the ban reveal its limited success. In the period from 2015 to 2019 before the ban was introduced, there were 2,247 reported deaths linked to insecurity in Zamfara. In the four years following the ban, this figure rose to 6,349 deaths – a staggering 183% increase. Many incidents go unreported due to the state’s remote areas, likely understating the figures. However, the available data shows that the ban failed to reduce violence and instead coincided with rising insecurity.
Several factors contributed to this failure. Firstly, the ban disrupted the livelihoods of many local communities who depended on artisanal mining for survival. With their farmlands either taken over by bandits or rendered inaccessible due to fear of attacks, mining became their only viable source of income. This inadvertently pushed more people into illegal mining activities, further empowering bandits who controlled these operations and exploited the people. Bandits leveraged the proceeds from illegal mining to smuggle arms and recruit members, including individuals from across Nigeria’s borders. Rather than weakening the bandits, the ban unintentionally strengthened their financial base, exacerbating insecurity in the state.
Secondly, the government’s inability to enforce the ban left mining sites in the hands of criminal groups. This was confirmed by the government when the solid minerals minister, Dele Alake, announced the lifting of the ban in December 2024. “The previous ban, intended to address security concerns linked to illegal mining and banditry, inadvertently allowed illegal miners to exploit our resources,” the minister stated. Community members have informed GGA that despite the lifting of the ban, mining sites are still being controlled by bandits.
High-level official complicity contributes to illicit mining and insecurity. Addressing this requires structural reforms, including constitutional changes to involve state authorities in mineral sector regulation and mine development alongside federal and private sector participation. This was a key proposal by GGA-Nigeria Executive Director Dr. Ola Bello at the 2024 Nigeria Mining Week summit in Abuja.
Rejig policy with fresh innovations
The minister cited the “significant security improvements” in the state as reason for lifting the ban. He also stated the government’s resolve to harness the state’s mineral wealth for national economic growth through the introduction of “policies to revitalise the mining sector, consolidate reforms, and create a more favourable investment environment.” While this decision holds promise, it also poses risks if not accompanied by robust measures to address the root causes of illegal mining and banditry.
To ensure the success of this policy shift, the government must adopt a comprehensive approach focusing on security, regulation, and community engagement.
Strengthening security at mining sites is crucial to preventing bandits from regaining control. This requires deploying specialized security forces, enhancing surveillance with modern technology such as drones and satellite imagery, and fostering collaboration with local communities. Additionally, the government must establish a robust regulatory framework by conducting a census of mining sites, registering artisanal miners, and implementing transparent tracking of mineral extraction and sales to curb smuggling. Collaborations with private sector stakeholders and international partners can provide technical expertise, funding, and best practices to modernize Nigeria’s mining sector, which currently contributes less than 1% to the country’s official economic output.
Addressing economic vulnerabilities is equally important, as mining communities in Zamfara rely on the sector for their livelihoods. To ensure their economic stability while curbing illegal activities, the federal government should work with the state government to provide more employment opportunities in regulated mining operations, invest in alternative livelihoods, such as agriculture and small-scale industries, to reduce dependency on mining, introduce community development programmes that address education, healthcare, and infrastructure needs, all of which brings government closer to the people and prevent recruitment by both criminal gangs and violent extremists.
Promoting environmental and health standards should be part of responsible mining, which must prioritise the health and well-being of both miners and local communities. The government should enforce environmental regulations, ensuring that mining activities do not lead to health hazards like lead poisoning, soil degradation, water pollution, or other ecological harm.
In conclusion, the lifting of the mining ban in Zamfara State marks a critical juncture in Nigeria’s efforts to address insecurity and harness its mineral wealth for economic prosperity. While the ban’s failure underscores the complexity of the challenges involved, it also offers valuable lessons for future interventions. By prioritising security, regulation, and community welfare, the government can create a sustainable framework for mining that benefits Nigeria while preventing bandits from exploiting its resources.
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But then another Nigerian, Moses Oludele Idowu brough a rather worrisome angle to this conversation. Oludele in his article Generals without shame had this to say:
“A general was kidnapped in his own house by gunmen and kidnappers and taken to the forest in Katsina State. He was the former director of NYSC. He could not be rescued by the authorities and security agencies – the same agencies that could monitor protesters and their phone conversations.
“The friends of this general now came together, formed a WhatsApp Group and began to raise money to free their colleague and friend. The terrorists demanded for N400 million (four hundred million naira), but the family began to negotiate while his friends, both serving and retired, were raising money. They paid the ransom, and he was released. Another general who coordinated the whole raising of ransom now posted a letter of appreciation on Social Media. This is what shocks me…
“But still, I am troubled and deeply too about the Army, Security Agencies and even NIgeria. Has it come to this? I am particularly troubled by the letter of appreciation of another general, Abdullahi, about how they raise money for ransom to terrorists. Haba! In Nigeria? Generals raising money for ransom? Generals don’t pay ransom; they fight. Generals don’t raise money, they lead soldiers and warriors to the battlefield to save their fatherland.”
As Nigerians await a declaration of a state of emergency in Zamfara, Plateau and other hugely troubled parts of Nigeria, PDP governors in the suit marked SC/CV/329/2025, want the Supreme Court to determine if the President has the power to suspend a democratically elected structure of a state.
The plaintiffs — Adamawa, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Delta, Taraba, Zamfara, and Bayelsa states, also asked the apex court to determine if the way and manner the President pronounced the state of emergency declaration in Rivers State was not in contravention of the 1999 Constitution.
They also prayed the court to determine, “Whether upon a proper construction and interpretation of the provisions of Sections 1(2), 5(2), 176, 180, 188 and 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria can lawfully suspend or in any manner whatsoever interfere with the offices of a Governor and the Deputy Governor of any of the component 36 States of the Federation of Nigeria and replace same with his own unelected nominee as a Sole Administrator, under the guise of, or pursuant to, a Proclamation of a State of Emergency in any of the State of the Federation, particularly in any of the Plaintiffs States?”
