THE PRESS CONFERENCE STATEMENT OF THE BEROM YOUTHS MOLDER -ASSOCIATION (BYM) AGAINST THE ALLEGED ISSUANCE OF MINING LEASE NO. ML-129 AT LATYA DU DISTRICT JOS SOUTH LGA PLATEAU STATE TO ONE MR. JOSHUA EGBAGBE; A CALL FOR IMMEDIATE REVOCATION. HOLDING AT NIGERIA UNION OF JOURNALIST PLATEAU STATE SECRETARIAT JOS ON THE 30TH SEPTEMBER, 2026

The Berom Youth Molder-Association (BYM) acknowledges and respect the Constitutional and Statutory position that vested mineral resources in the Federal Government and administration of same in accordance with the applicable mining legislation. Even though the fact that Mineral Resources belongs to the Federal Government, it does not however, obliterate the rights and interests of lawful landowners and host Communities, which the same relevant laws imbedded. It is understandable that granting of a Mining title does not, in itself, extinguish the lawful rights and interests of persons who own or occupy the land upon which mining activities are to be or being conducted. In the same vein, Mining Operators must comply with the applicable legal requirements concerning access to land, community relations, environmental obligations, compensation and host-community development.

It is on the bedrock of the above that the BYM makes bold to address the gentlemen of the press and the public about some disturbing developments keenly observed at a mining site in latya Community of Du District, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, where a questionable Mining Lease No. ML-129 issued to Mr. Joshua Egbagbe, whom we view did not only fail to follow and observe due process in pursuance of the said Mining Lease, but his continued exhibition of recklessness-arbitrary arrest and detention of some community members, abuse of due and court process, utter disregard to host community and revered Traditional institution, unwarranted use of force through the instrumentality of the Nigerian Police Force and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp personnel he sought for their deployment to harass and frustrate as well as shut down the mining site which the BYM consider as unacceptable to the sensibility of our Nationality.

2. PROPER INVOLEMENT OF LANDOWNERS AND HOST COMMUNITY
   The BYM is much concerned about the circumstances surrounding the alleged reliance on Mining Lease No. ML-129 by Mr. Joshua Egbagbe. Just as every land in has its historical background the people hold unto and project, so also every Mining Lease. This makes us to take a cursory look at an earlier mining title reportedly referred to as Mining Lease No. ML-126, associated with Mining Technologies Company Limited owned by Russians foreign investors, who had explored mineral resources in the area sometime in 1997 where the community executed an agreement that was for only four (4) year which elapsed in 2001.

While a petition dated 20th September, 2016 was filed to the Hon. Miniter of Mines and Steel Minerals Development against the renewal of the above lease initially used by Mr. Joshua Egbabe during the pendency of a matter instituted at the High Court and an Appeal before the Court of Appeal in Jos regarding the land ML-126 covered, and reply dated 13th October, 2016 staying action until the determination of the matter, it was shocking that Mr. Joshua, without either waiting for the determination of the pending matter in court, applying for revocation of the aforementioned Mining Lease or any requisite consent as statutorily provided, covertly applied and obtained a new lease referred to as ML-129 that exceeded (subsumed) the same land in dispute, which in our firm view is an abuse of court process that attracts punitive measures accordingly.

The disturbing issuance of ML-129 allegedly associated with the same land, where Mr. Joshua Egbagbe is parading himself to be the owner not known to the Host Community as due process, particularly the Community and landowners’ consent even when the land remained under a subsisting ML-126 without firstly revoking or, at best, renewing the latter is a fundamental flop that touches on the root of the validity and otherwise of the former as it has continually stood on nothing to justify or warrant the usage of it for any mining activity being carried out, thereby making it fundamentally defective.

The mining laws and regulations are clear that even if a person have a valid mining lease, the Community’s consent must first be established before the owner of the lease can enter the host Community to carry out mining activities, and when consent of the landowners and host Community is obtained, the holder of the lease must sign and execute a Community Development Agreement with the host community. In the instant case of Mr. Joshua, the reverse is the case as he has not only continued mining, using the questionable Lease for the pass twenty-Nine years without executing a single project for the community but also resorted severally to using the instrumentality of the Police Force and others to be intimidating, harassing, arresting and detaining and arraigning some members of the Host Community which is unacceptable.

It is evidence-base that the host Community has written several Complaints/petitions to the appropriate offices of the Mineral sector of the Federal and Plateau State Government against the conduct of Mr. Joshua Egbagbe, demanding the revocation of Mining Lease ML-129 but to no avail.

3. AUTHENTICATION OF ML-129 IS URGENTLY REQUIRED The central issue before the Government is not whether mineral resources belong to the Federal Government, but the crux of the matter is whether the document and title being relied upon by Mr. Joshua Egbagbe as in ML-129 is genuine, valid, subsisting and lawfully applicable to the particular land at Latya.

We unequivocally appeal to the Hon. Minister of Solid Mineral and his good offices to critically visit and evaluate not only the whole process that brought about the issuance of ML-29, the said lease itself and also the statutory obligation on lease-holders to landowners and Host Community, whether or not such were ever complied with to warrant Mr. Joshua’s Mining Lease sail through against our agitation for its outright REVOCATION as he has adamantly continued fighting the Beroms and other Nigerians in that area since the time he obtained that so-call lease.

It is worthy of mention that, following the security challenges on the Plateau, in 2025, the Plateau State Government shutdown all mining activities in the State, and set up a Committee to screen and verify all Mining Leaseholders. Perplexingly, Mr. Joshua Egbagbe refused to submit himself to the committee for verification, but yet, he took some of the land owners and members of the host community to Court, contrary to the legal maxims that say, “he who seeks equity must do equity” and “he who comes to equity, must come with clean hands” in every circumstance with this inclusive.

In another turn of event in recent past, Mr. Joshua Egbagbe secured a deployment of Nigerian Police Force and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence personnel, who shut down the Mining site not as a result of any uprising or court order to that effect, but under allegation that Community members are indulged in illegal mining, meanwhile, he is pressuring them to severe certain percentage of the proceed of the mining as condition precedence before he can allow them to return back to the mining site. This, again, is unacceptable as there are registered Mining Cooperatives, members of the Community belong.

The question that beckons for answer is, what is the justification of bringing the Police Force and other security personnel to the mining site? Was it to stop illegal mining or to negotiate a certain percentage of the purported illegal mining proceed for him as he had claimed? assuming but not conceding that members of the Host Community have committed any crime for carrying out mining in their ancestral land, shouldn’t the Government effect the arrest and prosecute such persons for the crime allegedly committed, and not for them to give Mr. Joshua Egbagbe the proceed of the so-call crime before they can be allowed to go back to site and continue committing the said mining offences?

. WHO AUTHORIZED THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE POLICE AND THE NIGERIAN SECURITY AND CIVIL DEFENCE CORP TO THE LATYA MINING SITES?
We demand that the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, the Commandant Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp Plateau State and the Plateau State Government swiftly investigate and make known: Who requested for the deployment of Police and Civil Defence personnel;

• Who authorized the deployment;
• The stated purpose of the deployment; Whether there is any court order for the shutdown;
• Whether the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and/or Cadastre Office did authorize the operation;
• Whether the Plateau State Government requested the deployment;
• and Whether the deployment was made at the request of Mr. Joshua Egbagbe or any person acting on his behalf.

The Nigeria Police Force and Civil Defence Corp are agencies of Government, which private individuals should not be allowed to unnecessarily drag them into determining disputed ownership, mining-title or commercial rights.

5. POLICE AND CIVIL DEFENCE MUST NOT BE USED TO INTIMIDATE OR HARASS THE COMMUNITY
   We are particularly disturbed by incidences of arrest and detention of members of the Latya community arising from the mining controversies at the instance of Mr. Joshua Egbagbe. We demand:
   (a) The immediate release of any community member being unlawfully detained in connection with the issue at hand.
   (b) An immediate investigation into all reported arrests at the instance of Mr. Joshua Egbagbe or any other person;
   (c) An end to the incidences of intimidation, harassment and threats against members of the community;
   (d) That Mr. Joshua Egbagbe be restrained from using the Police or any security personnel as a means of intimidating or harassing members of the host community; and
   (e) That any criminal allegation against a community member be investigated independently on its merits rather than being used as a means of settling the mining dispute.
6. CASES REPORTED AGAINST COMMUNITY MEMBERS
   We are also aware of cases reportedly instituted or initiated against members of the community following complaints attributed to Mr. Joshua Egbagbe.

We call upon the Attorney-General of the Federation or that of Plateau State to immediately take over the prosecution of these cases and terminate them for public interest, and this will help to restore peace to the community. Where any case has been instituted without sufficient legal basis, we call upon the appropriate prosecuting authority and/or court to take the necessary lawful steps to discontinue or otherwise bring such proceedings to an end.

We respectfully emphasize that no person should be
arrested, prosecuted or detained merely because he or she challenges a disputed mining title or asserts a lawful interest in community land.

6. POLICE AND ALL SECURITY PERSONNEL SHOULD VACATE THE MINING SITE
   In the absence of a valid court order or lawful directive from the competent authority authorizing the continued occupation of the mining site, we call upon the Plateau State Police Command and any security personnel to vacate the Latya mining site within 24 hours. The presence of armed security personnel at a disputed mining site has heightened tension and created fear among members of the community.

OUR DEMANDS The Berom Youth Molders hereby calls on the Hon. Minister of Mines, Steel and Solid Minerals Development, the Mining Cadastre Office, the Plateau State Government, the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command and other relevant authorities to swiftly act anticipatorily on the following prayers:

-Immediate revocation of the purported Mining Lease No. ML-129 by the Mining Cadastre Office or any office that is saddled with such responsibility;

• Investigation into the relationship between ML-126 and ML-129, and whether or not it is tenable within the relevant legislations and regulations for two Mining Leases to cover the same land;
• Investigation into the circumstances under which ML-129 was purportedly processed, granted and/or became associated with the disputed land;
• Verification of compliance with the applicable Community Development Agreement requirements;
• Investigation by the Plateau State Commissioner of Police into who requested and authorized the deployment of Police personnel to Latya;
• Investigation by the Federal Government into the circumstances surrounding the use of the Police and Civil Defence at the mining site;
• Cause an immediate cessation of the use of Police personnel or any security personnel to intimidate, harass or unlawfully arrest members of the community and any Plateau person in connection with the mining area in view;
• Immediate release of community members who are being unlawfully detained;
• Cause a discontinuance and/or review of all cases initiated against members of the community at the instance of Mr. Joshua Egbagbe if found to have no proper legal foundation;
• Withdrawal of Police personnel or any security personnel from the mining site on account of Mr Joshua Egbagbe within 24 hours; Immediate:
• ARREST, INVESTIGATION and possible PROSECUTION of Mr. Joshua Egbagbe by relevant authorities including Plateau State Government if found that he truly declined and defied appearance before the Committee set up to verify the authenticity of all Mining Operators on the Plateau as unambiguously directed by the Executive Governor. And any other measure or step deemed necessary in the circumstance of this disturbing development, please.

WE WILL REMAIN PEACEFUL
The Berom Youth Molders wishes to make it categorically clear that we do not support violence, destruction of property, confrontation with security agencies or any other unlawful conduct. Our demand is for justice, transparency, due process and the rule of law. We call upon members of the Latya community and youths of Du District as well as Berom Nationality to continuously remain calmed and peaceful while anticipating Government action(s) towards addressing these concerns raised.

NOTICE OF PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION
However, if the Federal and Plateau State Governments fail to respond to these demands and fail to revoke mining lease ML-129 within one week period, we shall exercise our constitutional right to peaceful assembly and lawful protest to stem an observed abrogated over-reachment of Mr Joshua Egbeba

10. CONCLUSION The Latya mining dispute must not be allowed to become a conflict between the people and the security agencies. Mineral resources belong to the Federal Government, but the administration of mineral resources must be carried out according to law and with due regard to lawful landowners, host communities and legitimate mining-title holders. The people of Latya are not asking for special treatment.

LONG LIVE LATYA! LONG LIVE DU DISTRICT!! LONG LIVE PLATEAU STATE AND THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!!!

Signed:

1. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, Esq.
   President of Berom Youths Moulder-Association 08065245811
   Mr. Emmanuel Mangu,
   Secretary General,
   Berom Youths Moulders-Association
   07036120089
2. : BEROM YOUTH MOLDERS-ASSOCIATION (BYM) Name: