A tragic incident has thrown the Udege Mbeki community in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State into mourning, following the drowning of two young siblings- Umar Muhammad (7) and Ibrahim Muhammad (9)—in an abandoned excavation site operated by Kenyang Mining Company Limited, a Chinese firm
The site, commonly referred to as a paddock, was filled with water due to recent heavy rainfall, creating a deadly trap for unsuspecting children.
According to a statement issued by Barrister Dauda Yahaya Kana, Chairman of Afo Youth Mobility (AYM), the tragedy occurred on Thursday when the boys followed their cousin, who had gone to the site to wash clothes.
Kana expressed deep sorrow over the incident, blaming Kenyang Mining Company for failing to reclaim the 50-meter setback after years of excavation in the area, noting that the company’s negligence directly contributed to the unsafe conditions that led to the children’s deaths.
“As a result, Afo Youth Mobility (officially registered as Afo Youth Mentorship Initiative) alongside nine others took the company to the Nasarawa State High Court to seek legal interpretation of the Community Development Agreement (CDA) signed on September 26, 2021, between the Udege community and the mining firm.” Kana explained.
He said the court, presided over by Hon. Justice Rose G. Soji in Keffi, had granted an interim injunction on November 19, 2024, barring the company from any further mining activity or harassment of the community until the matter was resolved.
Subsequently, the parties reached an out-of-court settlement, resulting in a consent judgment granted on March 4, 2025. The judgment included legally binding terms, such as:
Submission of a detailed reclamation plan for the 50-meter setback within one year of further excavation.
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 and Ibrahim Muhammad (9)—in an abandoned excavation site operated by Kenyang Mining Company Limited, a Chinese firm){kind=link}