Pregnant Woman Shot As Illegal Miners, Residents Clash In Niger

Security Forces Intervene To Prevent Bloodbath In Shiroro LGA

Tension gripped Mutun Daya community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on Monday after a violent clash erupted between illegal miners and angry residents, leaving a pregnant woman shot in the leg.

The unrest, according to eyewitnesses, began when a prominent politician—allegedly backing artisanal miners—moved to convert the community’s primary school into a mining site. The attempt sparked outrage among locals, who resisted the move, insisting that the school was the only educational facility serving their children.

Matters quickly spiraled out of control when armed vigilante operatives, reportedly hired by the miners, opened fire during the standoff. In the chaos, one of the bullets struck an unidentified pregnant woman who was simply passing through the contested area.

The shooting provoked a fierce response from enraged youths, who mobilized against the vigilantes. The confrontation threatened to snowball into a full-scale communal clash until the swift intervention of security forces helped restore order.

Confirming the incident, Niger State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said that on September 29, at about 10:00 am, officers received reports of illegal mining activities in the school premises. He explained that while residents resisted the encroachment, a vigilante fired at the woman, prompting angry youths to block the busy Gwada–Sarkin Pawa road in protest.

“The DPO Gwada mobilised to the scene and persuaded the youths to disperse. The injured woman was taken to a hospital for treatment, and efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend the vigilante responsible,” the police spokesman stated.

Although calm has returned to Mutun Daya, community leaders have condemned the brazen attempt to seize their only school for mining purposes, describing it as an assault on their children’s future. Many residents fear that unless authorities tackle illegal mining head-on, more violence may erupt in the resource-rich but crisis-prone Shiroro axis.