5 miners shot dead by gunmen at an artisanal mining site in Nigeria

Gunmen attacked a mining site in Marit village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, on Saturday, killing five miners and injuring two others.

The assault occurred while the miners were working at the site, according to a statement by Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders-Association.

The group condemned the deadly attack, saying it has left the community grieving and living in fear. Tengwong expressed deep concern that law-abiding citizens in vulnerable rural communities continue to face such violence despite repeated calls for stronger security measures.

He urged security agencies to move beyond expressing concern by identifying, arresting, and prosecuting those responsible. “Such measures are necessary to prevent further loss of life and restore residents’ confidence in their safety,” he said. “This must not be reduced to another statistic as authorities must act decisively to protect communities and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.”

Plateau State police spokesman Alabo Alfred was unavailable for comment, and text messages sent to him went unanswered.

The incident follows a similar attack reported in June, in which five miners were killed at a mining site in Gero village, Gyel district of Jos South.