Residents of a community in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja, have raised alarm over the arrival of hundreds of suspected illegal miners, warning that the development poses serious security and environmental threats.
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Videos circulating on Monday showed large numbers of people trooping into the area, digging with shovels and bagging unidentified materials. A resident described the location as being after Zampo Plaza, adding that tension was high as strangers, allegedly from Zamfara and Niger states, had been brought in over claims of a gold deposit.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
Locals fear the influx could trigger criminal activity while causing severe environmental damage. They said soldiers had been informed but the situation was worsening.
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LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
Civic tech group MonitNG reported that heavy machinery was tearing into the land, creating deep pits, massive debris, and destroying vegetation. The main access road to the community has been ruined, forcing residents to take dangerous alternative routes. Dust, noise, and heavy truck movements have disrupted daily life, with children unable to play outside and the elderly struggling to cope.
MonitNG warned that underground water sources were under threat and that no environmental assessment or safety measures were in place. The group called on FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Senator Ireti Kingibe, and the Nigeria Police to urgently halt the mining, restore the land, and prevent future incidents.
It stressed that Abuja must not become “a lawless zone” where unregulated mining thrives in residential areas.
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