Major A.M. Ghali to lead new eight-member enforcement team across Taraba

By NewsNexus | Jalingo | September 5, 2026

Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, has dissolved existing committees and task forces established to combat illegal mining and constituted a new eight-member task force to strengthen enforcement across the state.

The development was contained in a statement dated September 5, 2026, and signed by the Secretary to the Government of Taraba State, Chief Gebon Timothy Kataps, Esq.

According to the statement, the new task force is mandated to enforce government directives against illegal mining and the destruction of forests across Taraba State.

Major A.M. Ghali has been appointed Commander of the task force, while Captain K.R. Odenusi will serve as Second-in-Command.

Other members are ASP Ishaku Daniel, Iziogo Philip, Olakunde D, Kabiru Musa, Zibai Ayuba and Suleiman Daniel.

The government said the team would be supported by operational personnel drawn from relevant security agencies.

As part of the restructuring, Governor Kefas directed the immediate dissolution of all existing committees or task forces performing similar functions. The newly constituted task force will consequently assume responsibility for the assignment.

The team is also expected to work with the Mobile Court established under existing executive orders and submit periodic reports through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the State.

Crackdown Intensifies

The latest development comes amid intensified government action against illegal mining activities in the state.

On September 4, reports emerged that an alleged illegal gold and diamond mining site at Garin Jatau, near Iware in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, had been shut down, with three suspects reportedly remanded.

The Taraba State Government had earlier suspended mining activities across the state, citing security concerns. Subsequent enforcement operations have reportedly led to arrests and the dispersal of hundreds of suspected illegal miners.

NEWSNEXUS ANALYSIS

The decision to dissolve existing enforcement structures and replace them with a single task force represents a significant restructuring of Taraba’s approach to illegal mining.

The move could address one of the major challenges often associated with multiple enforcement committees—overlapping responsibilities and weak coordination. By giving a clearly defined team operational responsibility, the government may be seeking a more coordinated and accountable enforcement system.

Illegal mining, however, extends beyond environmental degradation. It has implications for security, forest conservation, community relations and the state’s potential revenue from the mining sector.

The effectiveness of the new task force will therefore depend on more than arrests and shutdowns. Intelligence gathering, sustained monitoring of mining sites, prosecution of offenders and cooperation with affected communities will be critical.

There is also a need for transparency. Regular reporting on arrests, prosecutions, mining sites shut down, equipment seized and environmental restoration efforts would allow the public to assess whether the new enforcement structure is producing measurable results.

For the Kefas administration, the latest restructuring presents an opportunity to move the campaign against illegal mining from periodic enforcement operations to a sustained, coordinated and measurable policy response.

The immediate test will be whether the new task force can translate the government’s directives into lasting reductions in illegal mining and environmental destruction across Taraba.