Miner killed in pit collapse, two shot dead by gunmen

Tragedy has hit Plateau State. Two separate incidents took three lives in less than 24 hours. Residents are worried about growing insecurity and the dangers in local communities.

A 35-year-old miner, Ibrahim Jabir, died when an illegal mining pit collapsed in Asaradan village, Jos East Local Government Area. Two other people were killed and five more injured in attacks on Toul and Halle communities in Mangu Local Government Area.

On the mining incident, security sources told PUNCH Metro on Monday that the collapse happened around 11:10am on Sunday, November 1, 2026. This was when troops from Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, of Operation Enduring Peace responded to a distress call.

The sources said when the troops arrived, they found that community members had already recovered Ibrahim Jabir's body. He was identified as the 35-year-old victim.

Sources added that Keystone Division, Angware, was contacted for further action. They noted that the incident showed the risks tied to illegal mining, especially poorly built pits and lack of safety measures.

In the second incident, gunmen attacked Toul and Halle communities on Sunday night, November 1, 2026, around 9pm. Two people were killed and five others were hurt.

Gabriel Titus, a resident of Mangu, confirmed the attacks. He said one person died and four others were injured in Toul. Another person died and one was hurt in Halle.

“The gunmen came into the community and opened fire on the people. Another person was killed in Halle, while one other person got injuries during the attack,” Titus said.

Residents talked about their fears over the ongoing violence and unsafe mining practices in the state. Titus pointed out that the attacks happened despite a curfew set by the state government.

“There is a curfew in place, but the gunmen still came and carried out the attack. We are asking security forces to increase surveillance and go after those behind these attacks,” he said.

He called for urgent steps to protect residents. People in the affected communities are becoming more worried.

Another Mangu resident, Joshua Dawan, complained about the frequent attacks in the area.

“We cannot sleep with our two eyes closed anymore. Every night, we live in fear. The government must do more to secure our communities,” he said.

A community leader in Jos East, Silas Izang, said the mining pit collapse was preventable. He blamed 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 step in and stop these illegal mining activities,” he said.

Attempts to get comments from security officials, including Plateau State Police Command spokesman Alabo Alfred, were not successful at the time of this report.