By: OrePulse

Authorities in Nigeria's Taraba State said a joint task force detained eight people suspected of involvement in illegal mining. They confiscated equipment during raids at several sites in the Bali Local Government Area over the weekend, according to Auwal Mohammed, the state government's special adviser on mining.

The task force, commanded by Major A.M. Ghali, carried out the operation across the Kusum, Badakoshi and Mayo Kam areas, with activity concentrated at sites known locally as Daban Kusum, Daban Faransa and Daban Yarima, Mohammed said. Officials said they took eight machines from the sites on the spot, while the eight detained individuals face further investigation and potential legal action.

Separately, task force personnel stopped five vehicles carrying mining equipment near Mayo Kam and Daka, seizing additional machinery, a monazite separator, and water-pumping generators, according to officials. Monazite is a mineral that contains rare-earth elements and thorium.

Officials said they identified and confiscated more than 50 mining machines across the operation, though they physically removed only eight because the sites were difficult to reach. Local vigilantes and hunters were assigned to guard the remaining machines until they can be retrieved.

"The difficult terrain in the affected areas had made the operation challenging," Major Ghali said, adding that personnel often had to reach remote sites by motorcycle or on foot. He said the task force planned to keep operations running statewide, and credited state government backing — including support from Governor Agbu Kefas — for the push to protect Taraba's mineral wealth.

No companies were named in connection with the raided sites. The task force operates under the Taraba State Government's mining oversight framework and said it focuses on unlicensed, artisanal mining activity rather than any licensed operator. Officials gave no estimate of the monetary value of the seized equipment or the machines still awaiting retrieval. They did not say whether they expect additional arrests as the investigation continues.