THE Taraba State Mobile Court on Environmental Protection, Public Safety and Prohibition of Deforestation has sealed an illegal gold and diamond mining site in Garin Jatau village, a suburb of Iware in Ardo Kola Local Government Area.
News Point Nigeria reports that members of the court, which was set up by Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, stormed the site on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, following intelligence that suspected illegal miners were mining gold and diamond.
It was gathered that most of the illegal miners operating at the site are from outside the state, while some are foreigners.
Musa Lawal, a resident of the area, told Daily Trust that some of the illegal miners were among those recently flushed out from other illegal mining sites across the state.
According to him, the illegal miners had regrouped in the area and installed three engines to facilitate their illegal mining activities, resulting in significant environmental degradation.
Sources also hinted that three suspects identified as leaders of the group were arrested and ordered to be remanded in prison custody by the mobile court.
