By Amos Aar, Makurdi
THREE miners have been reportedly feared killed and one person injured at a mine site popularly known as Tojir Mine collapsed at Duejime area, near Anyiin Community of Logo local government area of Benue State on Tuesday afternoon.
Daily Sun had reported quoting a source from the area who said the accident occurred at the mine site while the victims were in the mine.
The source, simply identified as Baba Ngutor, revealed that three of the workers died instantly while others were seriously injured and were transferred to a hospital in Anyiin. He added that one of the workers who managed to escape from the scene unhurt was the one who ran to town to inform the people who then mobilised to rescue the victims.
“The other man was not injured. He was the one who reported the collapse of the mine. Only two dead bodies have so far been evacuated,” our source stated.
Meanwhile, Council Chairman of Logo LGA, Terseer Agber, who confirmed the report, however said neither he nor the state government knew anything about the mining operation in the area.
The Logo council boss who spoke to newsmen by telephone however, confirmed three persons killed and one other injured in the mining disaster.
The chairman was quoted to have said: “I don’t know anything about their activities. They just came here with their papers and the chiefs there gave them papers to start work.
“Very early in the morning today I was called and informed that about four people were trapped in a mining pit. So, I directed that they should try and do something and later on they came back and reported that they recovered three bodies and one injured.
“I have been calling for series of meetings with them to resolve the matter, but each time the meeting would fail. The state government is aware of their activities in the area.
He added that Governor Samuel Ortom had, at some point, sent two Commissioners including that of Agriculture, Lands and Survey and Solid Minerals to meet with the operators of the mine site but that nothing tangible came out from the meeting.
“The miners said that they have no dealings with the state government; that they collected their licence from Abuja and it’s the prerogative of the federal government. They don’t have any dealing with the Benue State Government,” Agber said.
But when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Catherine Anene, who was said to have responded via a text message said she was yet to receive any such report.
