Hauwa Gidado, Abuja
The Nigerian Government says it has arrested more than 300 illegal miners and prosecuted over 150 suspects, including foreign nationals, and shut down several illegal mining sites in the country since the establishment of the Mining Marshals.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the Federal Government has made sanitising the mining sector a national priority through stronger enforcement, regulatory reforms, intelligence gathering and community engagement.
The minister, who was reacting to a recent arrest of two men for illegal mining activities in Oyo state, said the establishment of the Mining Marshals has significantly boosted enforcement efforts.
Alake said the ongoing operations are aimed at ensuring Nigeria’s mineral resources are exploited through lawful, transparent and responsible mining practices that benefit the country.
The minister, who also chairs the African Mineral Strategy Group (AMSG), said Nigeria’s tough stance against illegal mining aligns with growing continental efforts to curb illicit exploitation of Africa’s mineral resources and promote responsible mineral governance.
He appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups and residents of mining communities to support the government’s efforts by providing credible information to security agencies and refusing to harbour illegal miners.
“Illegal mining destroys the environment, fuels insecurity, deprives the nation of legitimate revenue and undermines the livelihoods of law-abiding miners. The fight against this menace cannot be won by government alone. Communities must become active partners in protecting their mineral resources,” Alake said.
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The Ministry said it recently arrested two suspected illegal miners in Osun State, as part of its intensified nationwide campaign against illegal mining.
This was disclosed in a statement by the special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Lara Owoeye-Wise.
According to the statement, the suspects, identified as Danladi Isa and Musa Kabiru, both in their twenties, were apprehended at an illegal artisanal mining camp in Ileki-Ijesa along the Ile-Ife/Ilesa Road.
According to the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, the suspects are assisting investigators with information to help track down those sponsoring the illegal operation.
She said the operation was conducted by officials of the Ministry’s Ogun, Oyo and Osun state offices in collaboration with security agencies, following intelligence reports on the activities of illegal miners in the area.
Owoeye-Wise further said while several suspects reportedly fled into nearby bushes on sighting the enforcement team, two were arrested.
READ ALSO: Oyo Government vows to end illegal mining across state
Authorities also confiscated mining equipment and dismantled the major operational bases established at the site.
Recovered items include two motorcycles, pumping machines, Lister generators, washing equipment, large hose pipes, gold-trapping carpets, cutlasses and other mining implements.
The illegal mining site has since been sealed in accordance with the law.
Leading the operation, the Southwest Zonal Mines Officer, Ajibade Ganiyu, said the exercise forms part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to enforce the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, protect the environment and safeguard the nation’s mineral resources.
He said the Ministry remains committed to sustaining surveillance and enforcement operations across the Southwest and other parts of the country to eliminate illegal mining and restore order in the sector.
Also speaking, the Osun State Mines Officer, Wasiu Adeboye, warned that sponsors, financiers and perpetrators of illegal mining would continue to face the full weight of the law, stressing that the operation sends a strong message that the government will no longer tolerate illicit mining activities.
