The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has vowed to revoke the titles of owners of licensed land units explored by illegal miners.

The ministry gave the hint in its first reaction to another mine collapse in Niger State, which claimed 3 lives.

The incident which occurred on Thursday around 10 am happened two weeks after the mine in Shiroro, Niger State collapsed and swallowed over 50 miners.

In a statement signed by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Saturday, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake said preliminary investigations showed that the collapsed mine was in the area under Exploration Licence 43113 of Jurassic Mines Limited in Adunu Village, Paikoro Local Government Area, Niger State.

He said, “Owners of licenced units of land mined by illegal miners will lose their titles.”

He explained that an exploration licence is given to an applicant to confirm if the site is suitable for the proposed mineral exploration. It does not authorise the applicant to engage in mining.

Reviewing the role of the Ministry in response to the event, Alake noted that the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development received reports of the accident at about 4.45 pm on Thursday which indicated that three people had died when a tunnel collapsed on them while mining gold in the site.

He said further inquiry revealed that the miners were mining illegally.

The ministry promptly mobilised its mine officers and headed to the area, arriving at the site around 6.15 pm.

He said officials were informed that three men were killed in the accident and have since been buried.

“At the time of the visit, work had stopped at the site, and only onlookers were seen. The coordinates of the site were taken, and officials returned to Minna at about 8.30 pm. The owners of the company were contacted by phone, but they claimed ignorance of happenings on the site. They were then summoned to the office in the state capital.”

The minister pledged to communicate further developments as they unfold.