Insecurity: Why Senator Yari, Other Illegal Gold Miners Must Be Stopped — Security Experts Urge Tinubu to Revisit Reports on Zamfara Ex-Governor

A group of Nigerian security experts has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently halt the activities of illegal miners in Zamfara State and other parts of Northern Nigeria as part of decisive measures to address worsening insecurity.
Speaking to journalists after a one-day retreat held on Sunday in Jos, Plateau State, the Convener of the Arewa Patriotic Neighborhood Watch (APNW), Dr.

Danlami Shehu, alongside the group’s Assistant Secretary, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed, said illegal mining has continued to undermine the efforts of security agencies battling banditry across the region.
The experts specifically appealed to President Tinubu to revisit and thoroughly examine the various reports indicting former Zamfara State Governor and current Senator, Abdulaziz Yari, and what they described as his collaborators, noting that meaningful progress could be achieved by implementing recommendations contained in those reports.
According to them, Senator Yari, from his time as Governor of Zamfara State to his current position as a serving Senator, has repeatedly been mentioned in reports linking him and other influential political actors to illegal gold mining in the state—an activity widely regarded as a key driver of banditry in the region.
They argued that as long as illegal mining continues unabated, bandits will retain the upper hand, stressing that those behind the illicit trade wield considerable influence over armed groups who are often assigned to secure mining sites. This, they said, makes it extremely difficult for Nigerian security agencies, including the Armed Forces, to access and dismantle such locations.
Dr. Shehu stated that illegal gold mining has been identified as the principal cause of the recent escalation of insecurity in Zamfara State. He recalled that in April 2019, the Federal Government under former President Muhammadu Buhari imposed a ban on illegal mining in the state, citing a “strong and glaring nexus between the activities of armed bandits and illicit miners, with both mutually reinforcing each other.”
He further noted that the then Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, ordered all foreigners to vacate mining sites as the police launched “Operation Puff Adder” in an attempt to curb banditry. Despite these measures, illegal mining reportedly continued, often shielded by armed groups that prevented security agencies from gaining access to mining locations.
The experts referenced findings by the Institute for Security Studies and other national and international reports, which indicate that widespread banditry in Zamfara is fueled by illegal gold mining, with proceeds frequently used to procure arms.
They lamented that the struggle over Zamfara’s gold has intensified due to internal and external collaborations aimed at looting the state’s resources, turning gold mines into what they described as “blood mines.” According to them, illegally mined gold is transported from forest locations via aircraft to Middle Eastern countries and, at times, to Sudan and Cameroon for sale.
They questioned why successive governments have allegedly ignored reports linking Senator Yari to these activities, including the 2021 Ghana Gold Report, which reportedly connected him to seized gold bars worth millions of dollars in Ghana, as well as other investigations, including one conducted by a serving member of the 10th House of Representatives.
The experts also recalled that in 2022, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) secured an interim forfeiture order on 10 properties linked to Senator Yari, describing them as proceeds of corruption arising from illegal activities, including mining. They noted that during his tenure as governor, Yari was repeatedly under scrutiny by law enforcement agencies and that after winning the 2023 senatorial election, he obtained a court order restraining the EFCC, ICPC, and DSS from arresting him.
They further questioned why the Department of State Services (DSS), which reportedly arrested and detained the senator for nearly one week shortly afterward, has not made its findings public, and why the Federal Government has yet to take decisive action to address the broader insecurity linked to illegal mining in the North.
On his part, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed, a native of Zamfara State, lamented that illegal mining not only fuels banditry but also damages public health and constitutes severe economic sabotage against the state and the nation.
He said Zamfara State has been crippled by politics and poor leadership, adding that its economy has for years been shaped by large-scale illegal gold mining allegedly driven by the political elite, while government authorities failed to act as violence engulfed local communities.
Ahmed recalled that in March 2010, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) reported that about 400 children died from lead poisoning in Zamfara State due to unsafe mining practices, affecting communities in Anka, Bukkuyum, and Maru Local Government Areas.
He also alleged that Senator Yari had previously acknowledged that over $500 million was generated annually from mining activities without significant revenue accruing to the state, attributing this knowledge to Yari’s alleged leadership role in a powerful illegal mining cartel.
Although Senator Yari has consistently denied these allegations, Ahmed said the overlap between his tenure as governor, the rise of banditry during that period, and the scale of illegal mining operations has sustained public scrutiny. He added that repeated arrests and releases by security agencies have left Nigerians demanding transparency and accountability.
Ahmed further disclosed that in 2019, he and other Zamfara indigenes, alongside notable activists led by journalist Kadaria Ahmed, organized a mass protest in Abuja toward the end of Yari’s administration, drawing the attention of then-President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari. He said this showed that the previous administration was aware of the situation in Zamfara but failed to take decisive action.
As of the time of filing this report, Senator Abdulaziz Yari was unavailable for comments, as he was reportedly attending an award ceremony in Ibadan, Oyo State. He has, however, repeatedly denied all allegations against him, as previously reported in the media.