Fact Check: Is There Airport Runway at Illegal Mining Site in Kogi?
Claim: A viral video circulating on social media, particularly Facebook, claims that an illegal mining site with an airport runway exists in Iddo, near the Mopa-Muro area of Kogi State. The video includes a map and a voiceover making strong accusations against unnamed elites and government officials.
In the voiceover, the narrator says:
“Look at the cost of ignorance on Nigeria… A few greedy people came and set up a company here, capital flight—that means it’s a lying stone company. CSG—no be plane takeoff be this? Inside Kogi o, where they say Kogi no get airport… This is the cost of putting a semi-literate or complete illiterate in charge of your purse or administration.”
The video map shows landmarks such as Iluhagba Primary Health Center, Agbele, Jubilee Evangelical Church of Christ, St. Peter Academy, and Government Technical College, all located in or around Mopa-Muro LGA.
Another part of the video features a clip of Senator Adams Oshiomhole accusing some retired and serving military officers, as well as directors of MDAs, of using helicopters and “shoppers” to illegally extract and export mineral resources for private gain.
The video has triggered reactions among social media users, many of whom speculate that the claim might reflect a hidden truth due to the prevalence of illegal mining activities in Nigeria.
Kogi State is naturally endowed with a wide variety of mineral resources available in commercial quantities, making the Confluence State an attractive destination for both local and international investors.
According to a source in the State Ministry of Solid Minerals and Natural Resources, Kogi boasts over 23 different mineral resources at commercially viable levels.
These resources include crude oil, coal, bauxite, iron ore, gold, marble, gypsum, dolomite, feldspar, kaolin, talc, and tantalite, among others.
Verification: To investigate this claim, the PRNigeria Fact-Check team adopted a multi-step verification approach as follows:
Satellite Imaging and Geolocation:
Using Google Earth and keyword searches related to “Iddo,” “Mopa-Muro,” and “airport” or “runway” in Kogi State, the team analysed satellite images of the area. The search confirmed the existence of the landmarks shown in the video. However, there was no visible airport or runway structure in Iddo or the surrounding Mopa-Muro area based on aerial view of the satellite images.
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Reverse Image and Video Search:
PRNigeria fact check then used tools such as InVID and Google Reverse Image Search to analyze the footage and track its origin. The earliest appearance of the video was in the last week of April 2025. However, the visuals presented no verifiable evidence of a runway or mining-related airstrip.
Similarly, PRNigeria‘s fact-check findings also discovered that in 2024, media reports quoted the Kogi State Task Force on Illegal Mining as confirming the arrest of 10 illegal miners and the impoundment of over 50 coal-laden trucks from unauthorized mining sites across the state. This underscores ongoing concerns about illegal mining activities despite the state’s efforts to regulate its solid mineral sector. However, there was no mention of any airport or airstrip in the areas where these operations took place.
Analysis of Mining Infrastructure:
Even though Kogi State is rich in mineral resources and has experienced illegal mining in the past, the presence of an airstrip or airport would require substantial infrastructure, which would be difficult to conceal from both satellite monitoring and local communities. No such infrastructure was identified.
Institutional Confirmation: To further verify, we reached out to relevant authorities:
The Kogi State Government and the Mining Marshal Corps, responsible for combating illegal mining, have not reported the existence of a secret airport or any such aviation facility in the area.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Olorunfemi Fanwo, in a media interview on Wednesday morning, dismissed as false the viral video claims alleging the existence of an illegal, undetectable mining site with a modern refinery and an airport located near Mopa, deep within an inaccessible forest in the state.
Conclusion: Following thorough digital forensic investigation, satellite analysis, and confirmation from official sources, PRNigeria‘s Fact-Check team found no credible evidence to support the claim that an illegal mining site with an airport runway exists in Iddo, near Mopa-Muro, Kogi State.
Verdict: PRNigeria therefore concludes that the claim that an illegal mining site with an airport runway exists in Iddo, near the Mopa-Muro area of Kogi State is FALSE.
By PRNigeria
