Yobe govt to regulate gold mining, warns of security risks

By Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu

The Yobe State Government has intensified efforts to regulate mining activities following the discovery of gold deposits in parts of Gulani and Gujba Local Government Areas, amid growing concerns over illegal mining and potential security threats.
The Managing Director of the Yobe Mining Development Company, Engr. Ba-Modu Yerima, disclosed this in Damaturu on Wednesday.
He stated that prior to government intervention, widespread artisanal mining across the state was largely illegal due to a lack of registration and formalisation.
“Since February last year, there has been significant artisanal mining across the state. Most of these operators were illegal because they were neither registered nor formalised,” Yerima said.
He explained that the government has since reorganised and registered many of the miners, integrating them into a legal framework. According to him, similar efforts are ongoing in Gulani, where gold deposits have recently been identified.
“We are working to organise the communities, ensure they form associations, and register as legal miners. This will help eliminate illegal mining activities,” he added.
Also speaking, the Yobe State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment Generation, Aji Yerima Bularafa, said the stakeholder engagement was convened to address emerging challenges linked to the discovery of gold in the affected areas.
He noted that the influx of foreign miners into Gulani and Gujba poses serious concerns if not properly managed.
“We have started witnessing an influx of foreigners into these areas. If not well coordinated, this could lead to serious security challenges, as seen in states like Zamfara, Kebbi, and Sokoto,” he warned.
Bularafa recalled that several communities in Yobe had only recently recovered from years of insurgency, which had displaced residents for over a decade.
“We have regained peace after years of the Boko Haram insurgency. We cannot afford to allow another crisis to emerge due to unregulated mining activities,” he said.
The Special Adviser to Governor Mai Mala Buni on Security Matters, Brig. Gen. Dahiru Abdulsalam (Rtd), warned that illegal mining is often associated with crime and instability.
He cited examples from African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where mineral resources have historically fuelled conflicts.
“In many parts of Africa, mining activities have been linked to insecurity and criminality. Illegal miners often include individuals with criminal backgrounds who exploit weak law enforcement systems,” he said.
Abdulsalam noted that foreign nationals are already operating in remote areas like Gulani, often securing protection to continue illegal mining.