State inaugurates 13-member enforcement committee as allegations of forced labour, community displacement and terrorist control expose the security cost of illegal gold mining.
The Zamfara State Government has established a 13-member committee to reclaim gold mining areas allegedly controlled by illegal operators and armed groups, as growing concerns over the exploitation of mineral resources deepen the state’s security crisis.
The committee, inaugurated on Friday in Gusau by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abubakar Mohammad Nakwada, will identify illegal mining locations, investigate operators and strengthen enforcement of mining regulations across the state.
The initiative also targets the criminal networks that exploit gold deposits to generate revenue for banditry and terrorism, particularly in communities where residents have reportedly lost control of their farmlands and mining sites.
The committee is chaired by the Commissioner for Environment, Abdulrahman Tumbido, with representatives drawn from security agencies, traditional institutions and relevant federal and state government departments.
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At the inauguration, Nakwada directed members to collaborate with security agencies, regulatory authorities and local institutions to identify illegal mining locations and establish the identities of those operating there.
He also emphasised that enforcement must extend to licensed mining companies, warning that legitimate operators must comply with existing regulations, prevent environmental damage and protect the safety and rights of host communities.
“The initiative is part of the state government’s efforts to assist the Federal Government in formalising the mining sector in the state,” Nakwada said.
The committee chairman, Tumbido, pledged that its activities would be guided by credible intelligence, fairness, respect for the law and consideration for the livelihoods of residents.
Anka communities face growing insecurity
The government’s intervention comes against the backdrop of reported armed control of gold mining activities in parts of Anka Local Government Area, where residents have faced intimidation, displacement and forced labour.
On October 15, elderly residents of Birnin Doki community were reportedly ordered to leave their homes by a notorious armed group leader, Muhammad Gwaska, after allegedly refusing to work in gold mines controlled by his fighters.
Displaced residents reportedly trekked about 15 kilometres to an abandoned health facility, where they faced shortages of food, drinking water and immediate assistance.
Other residents have alleged that armed groups dictate who can mine, farm or reside in certain areas, while imposing levies on miners and farmers to finance their operations.
These accounts illustrate how illegal mining can extend beyond the unlawful extraction of minerals. Where armed groups control access to gold deposits, they can also control local livelihoods, impose financial demands and undermine the authority of recognised institutions.
A 2026 security assessment by the European Union Agency for Asylum documented the extent of armed group activity in Zamfara. It cited reports that criminal groups had established control over hundreds of villages and used threats, abductions and forced displacement to extract payments from residents. European Union Agency for Asylum +1
Gold mining and the banditry economy
Zamfara’s gold deposits have long attracted illegal miners and criminal networks. Research by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and ACLED has documented how armed groups in the North-West have exploited artisanal mining through direct control, extortion and taxation of mining activities.
The Federal Government lifted its five-year suspension of mining exploration in Zamfara in December 2024, citing improved security conditions. The decision was intended to support legitimate investment and bring mineral extraction under regulatory control. Reuters
However, the persistence of reported criminal control over mining communities highlights the difficulty of translating formal mining policies into effective security on the ground.
The new committee will therefore face a task that goes beyond identifying illegal miners. Its effectiveness will depend on whether it can dismantle criminal access to mining sites, protect displaced residents, enforce environmental standards and create conditions for legitimate operators to work safely.
For communities such as Birnin Doki, success will mean more than recovering gold fields. It will mean returning control of their homes, farms and livelihoods to residents without exposing them to further intimidation.
The state government’s challenge is to ensure that Zamfara’s mineral wealth becomes an economic asset rather than a continuing source of violence and exploitation.
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