Two miners have been killed and five others injured after a violent clash erupted at a mining site in Abare community of Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State, following an attempt to enforce observance of the ongoing Ramadan fast.
According to the sources, the crisis began when a member of an outlawed vigilance group, locally known as Yan Sakai, allegedly stormed the mining site and attempted to compel Muslim miners to observe the fasting period.
Security sources said the incident occurred at about 8:30 a.m yesterday. at an artisanal mining site in the area.
The suspect, identified simply as Kaura, was said to have arrested several miners on the allegation that they were not observing the Ramadan fast.
Sources added that the suspect also imposed compulsory levies on those he detained, a move that angered other miners who viewed the arrests and payments as illegal.
The situation quickly escalated as some miners resisted the action, forcing the suspect to temporarily retreat from the site.
However, tensions worsened when Kaura reportedly returned shortly afterward with other members of the outlawed group and attempted to carry out further arrests.
The development triggered a confrontation between the miners and the group, creating panic across the mining site.
During the clash, two miners were killed while five others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Security operatives were immediately deployed to the area after authorities received reports of the violence.
The injured victims were rushed to a nearby medical facility for treatment.
Security sources said investigations have commenced to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
As of the time of filing this report, no arrests had been made.
