Latya residents protest reported mine closure, seek Plateau government intervention

Community leaders say the shutdown has cut off income for residents who depend on mining.

JOS, 12 November 2026 — Residents of Latya in Du District, Jos South Local Government Area, protested on Wednesday, 11 November, over the reported closure of a mining site and called on the Plateau State Government to intervene. New Telegraph and Leadership reported that security operatives shut the site. IDNN could not verify who ordered the closure or when it took effect.

Latya youth leader James Gyang Samuel said the shutdown had disrupted livelihoods for six months. He said families that relied on mining income were struggling to pay for food, school fees and other essentials.

Justina Ezekiel Dem, a community women’s leader, said some women had borrowed from cooperative societies to fund mining activities and were struggling to repay the loans after losing that income. She urged the state government to investigate.

Dem said residents might block roads linking Latya to Jos if the government failed to address their complaints by Friday, 13 November. IDNN had yet to verify any roadblock as of 12 November.

New Telegraph said its calls to Plateau State Commissioner for Environment, Climate Change and Mineral Development Joshua Ubandoma Laven went unanswered. As of 12 November, IDNN had found no public response from the state government or the mine operator to the protest.

Independent Digital News Network