The Senate, on Wednesday, called for urgent intervention to address safety risks and environmental hazards arising from unsafe coal mining activities in Ankpa and other coal-bearing communities in Kogi State.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance, sponsored by Senator Isah Jibrin, APC, Kogi East, during plenary. The motion was triggered by a landslide on July 14, 2026, in Alufele, Enjema District, Ankpa, which claimed 20 lives.
Presenting the motion, Jibrin said coal mining remains a key economic activity in Ankpa Local Government, particularly in Enjema, Okaba and Ikah communities, as well as in Omala and Olamaboro LGAs within the Ankpa Coal Block of the Anambra Basin.
He explained that coal deposits in the area are overlain by lateritic materials, loose sandstone, mudstone, clay and shale that are naturally unstable and susceptible to subsidence and landslides under heavy mechanical loading.
The lawmaker said the ground failure in Alufele trapped artisanal miners underground while several trucks sank into mining pits during loading operations. He said the incident led to the death of 20 workers with several others injured.
“The unsafe mining methods presently adopted by many artisanal operators, particularly the widespread use of room-and-pillar mining without adequate structural reinforcement, have substantially increased risks of roof collapse, cave-ins and fatal accidents,” Jibrin stated.
He added that heavy-duty loading points located adjacent to unstable mining pits further aggravate geological instability and expose miners and communities to avoidable dangers.
Jibrin also noted that many miners operate under informal arrangements without contracts, social security, health insurance or occupational hazard insurance, leaving victims and families without financial protection whenever accidents occur.
“Victims of mining accidents, including families of deceased miners, are frequently left without adequate compensation, rehabilitation or alternative livelihood despite the enormous economic value derived from the nation’s mineral resources,” he said.
The Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, through its Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Department, to undertake an audit of licensed miners to facilitate monitoring and regulation.
It also called on the Federal Government to establish a statutory Mining Workers’ Compensation Scheme, funded through mandatory contributions by licensed operators, to cover occupational injuries, disabilities, diseases and death.
In addition, the upper chamber asked the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, in collaboration with the Solid Minerals Ministry, to develop compulsory occupational accident insurance for all categories of miners, including artisanal operators under cooperatives.
The Senate further urged the government to establish a Mine Rehabilitation and Victims Support Fund for emergency medical treatment, rehabilitation, compensation, educational support for children of deceased miners, and livelihood assistance to affected families.
To drive oversight, the Senate mandated its Committees on Solid Minerals Development, Environment, Labour, Employment and Productivity, and Health to jointly interface with relevant MDAs and report back within six weeks.
