Bandits hinder rescue efforts for trapped miners in Nigeria

Efforts to rescue some 30 artisanal miners trapped in a collapsed mining pit in Niger state, Nigeria, have been obstructed by threats from armed bandits, an emergency official reported on Wednesday June 5 as reported by local media.

The miners, working for a local company, were in a large pit in the village of Galkogo, Shiroro district, when it caved in late Sunday, trapping them inside, said Abdullahi Baba Ara, head of the Niger State Relief Agency.

“Our deployment to the area was halted by security personnel due to bandit threats,” Ara explained.

Shiroro is among…