Tragedy has struck Plateau State, with two separate incidents claiming three lives in less than 24 hours, leaving residents lamenting the growing insecurity and dangers facing local communities.
A 35-year-old miner, Ibrahim Jabir, has died following the collapse of an illegal mining pit in Asaradan village, Jos East Local Government Area, while two persons were killed and five others injured in separate attacks on Toul and Halle communities in Mangu Local Government Area.
On the mining incident, security sources who confirmed the death of the miner to on Monday said the collapse occurred at about 11:10am on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, of Operation Enduring Peace responded to a distress call.
The sources said troops arrived at the location to discover that the corpse of the victim had already been recovered by members of the community. The deceased was identified as Ibrahim Jabir, aged 35.
Sources added that Keystone Division, Angware, had been contacted for further necessary action, noting that the incident highlighted the dangers associated with illegal mining activities, particularly poorly constructed pits and the absence of safety measures.
In the second incident, two persons were killed while five others sustained injuries when gunmen attacked the Toul and Halle communities in Mangu on Sunday night, November 1, 2026, at about 9pm.
A resident of Mangu, Gabriel Titus, who confirmed the attacks, said one person was killed and four others injured in the Toul community, while another person was killed and one injured in Halle.
“The gunmen came into the community and opened fire on the people. Another person was killed in Halle, while one other person sustained injuries during the attack,” Titus said.
Residents who spoke about the incidents expressed concern over the recurring violence and unsafe mining practices in the state.
Titus lamented that the Mangu attacks occurred despite a curfew imposed by the state government.
“There is a curfew in place, but the gunmen still came and carried out the attack. We are appealing to the security operatives to intensify surveillance and go after those responsible for these attacks,” he said.
He called for urgent measures to protect residents, saying people in the affected communities were becoming increasingly worried.
Another resident of Mangu, Joshua Dawan, decried the frequency of attacks in the area.
“We cannot sleep with our two eyes closed anymore. Every night, we live in fear. Government must do more to secure our communities,” he said.
Similarly, a community leader in Jos East, Silas Izang, described the mining pit collapse as avoidable, blaming it on illegal and unregulated mining activities.
“This death could have been avoided if there was proper regulation. Our youths go into these illegal pits because of poverty and lack of jobs, but there are no safety measures. We need the government to intervene and stop these illegal mining activities,” he said.
Efforts to get the reactions of security operatives, including the spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
