By Ayodele Quadri, Lagos Times Correspondent
BALI / JALINGO, NIGERIA — Residents of the Mayokam community in the Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State have welcomed the official sealing of two major gold mining locations—Gidan Boss and Gidan Star—by the state’s Mobile Court.
The court-ordered closure followed an inspection tour that uncovered severe environmental degradation and widespread violations of Executive Order No. 5 of 2023, which regulates environmental protection, public safety, and mining operations across Taraba State.
Key Highlights & Community Concerns
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Severe Environmental Degradation: Operations at the Gidan Boss and Gidan Star sites caused widespread destruction of arable farmlands, open pits, and water pollution along the Mayokam axis.
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Foreign & Out-of-State Miners: Joint security briefings presented to the court revealed that the majority of the illegal operators migrated from states including Zamfara, Katsina, and Bauchi, as well as neighboring Republic of Cameroon.
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Youth Exploitation & Insecurity: Community representatives highlighted that local youths were paid minimal wages while external operators extracted valuable gold deposits. The unregulated mining camps had also sparked rising drug abuse, security threats, and recent youth protests.
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Enforcement Transfer: Following the inspection, the court ordered the immediate handover of the sealed sites to joint military, police, and vigilante security teams for strict enforcement and continuous perimeter guarding.
