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A civic tech organisation, Urban Alert, has raised concerns over the renewed activities of suspected illegal gold miners along the Osun River corridor, warning that mining operations are increasingly encroaching into residential communities within Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
In a statement issued by Titilade Alayande, its Communications Associate, on Friday in Osogbo, the civic organisation reported that mining activities were no longer confined to remote areas but were now overwhelming residential communities, posing risks to residents and to the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Urban Alert also called on the Osun State Government, relevant federal agencies, and security institutions to take urgent action, stating that interventions must “match the scale and brazenness of the threat posed by the reported activities.”
The group urged governments to immediately deploy security interventions to identified hotspots in Osogbo and adjoining towns, with the aim of protecting residents and preventing further expansion of illegal mining operations.
It also appealed to security agencies to seal off illegal mining sites and remove equipment from affected locations, noting that such steps were necessary to prevent a rapid return of operators after enforcement raids.
According to the statement, authorities were further urged to arrest and prosecute those involved in illegal mining, with Urban Alert calling for “transparent public updates on prosecutions and not just arrests.”
The organisation identified several affected areas, including “Aberensise Community in Akinlade Estate, Ilesa Garage area of Osogbo; Ifesowapo Community, Ajigun area along Owo-Eba–Ilesa Road; and Olojaibala Community in Atakumosa West Local Government Area.”
Urban Alert said the impacts recorded in these communities included “land degradation, destruction of farmland, threats to buildings, heightened fear among residents, and possible water contamination due to the proximity of mining sites to the Osun River.”
“These developments show a shift from what residents once viewed as a distant upstream challenge to an immediate neighbourhood emergency,” the organisation stated.
It added that, despite assurances from federal and state authorities regarding the safety of the Osun River, the reappearance and expansion of mining activities suggested that “sporadic raids are not enough without sustained surveillance, prosecutions, and dismantling of enabling networks.”
Urban Alert disclosed that it had received repeated distress signals from communities, with residents reporting fears of intimidation and reprisals, and alleging that miners often arrive “in large numbers, accompanied by aggressive hoodlums.”
The group also called for an independent environmental assessment and continuous monitoring of the Osun River corridor around Osogbo, alongside publicly available findings and protection mechanisms for whistleblowers and threatened residents.
Urban Alert raises alarm over illegal gold mining expansion on Osun River
