Senate probes Kogi coal mine tragedy as 20 people die in Ankpa landslide

The Senate on Wednesday called for urgent intervention to address growing security risks and environmental hazards arising from unsafe coal mining activities in Ankpa and other coal producing communities in Kogi State.

The resolution was a follow-up to an urgent motion of national importance sponsored by Senator Isah Jibrin (APC Kogi East) during the plenary following the July 14, 2026 landslide that claimed the lives of 20 people in Alufele, Enjema District.

Presenting the motion, Senator Jibrin noted that coal mining remains a key economic activity in Ankpa Local Government, particularly in Enjema, Okaba and Ikah communities, as well as Omala and Olamaboro LGAs within the Ankpa Coal Block of the Anambra Basin.

He said the coal deposits in the area are overlain by lateritic materials, loose sandstone, mud, clay and shale which are naturally unstable and susceptible to failures and landslides under heavy mechanical loads, and therefore expressed sadness over a land failure and landslide which occurred on or about July 14, 2026 in Alufele, Enjema District.

He said the accident trapped artisanal miners underground while several trucks sank into mine pits during loading operations, leaving 20 workers dead and many others injured.

“The unsafe mining methods currently adopted by many artisanal operators, particularly the widespread use of room-and-pillar mining without adequate structural reinforcement, have substantially increased the risks of roof collapse, cave-ins and fatalities,” Jibrin said.

He lamented that heavy-duty loading points located adjacent to unstable mine shafts further exacerbate geological instability and expose miners and communities to avoidable dangers, adding that many miners operate under informal arrangements without contracts, social security, health insurance or occupational risk insurance.

“Victims of mining accidents, including families of deceased miners, are often left without adequate compensation, rehabilitation or alternative livelihoods, despite the enormous economic value derived from the nation’s mineral resources,” he added.