In a significant crackdown on illegal mining, the Federal Government’s Mining Marshals have arrested 327 persons in the last year, with cases being prosecuted in various courts across the country.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, at a press briefing to commemorate Mining Marshals at one, highlighted the achievement, demonstrating a clear paradigm shift in the strategy for containing illegal mining.
Alake also disclosed that as soon as the Mining Marshals were activated, he received numerous complaints from directors of duly licensed companies who were unable to access their sites due to illegal miners.
He added that in many cases, these illegal miners had occupied licensed areas for over a decade, displacing the actual owners and forcing them to pay annual service fees for inaccessible sites.
To address this issue, Alake directed the Mining Marshals to clear the sites and restore them to their legitimate owners.
“One notable success story was the clearance operation at Mining Lease 19325 in Kogi State, where over 3,000 illegal miners were removed, and the site was restored to its rightful owner.
“Similar operations were conducted at Ganan Mining Limited in Kuje, Federal Capital Territory; Jinloys Nigeria Limited in Abia State; and Orbit Exploration and Natural Products Limited in Kogi State.”
According to him, the Mining Marshals have recovered over 98 sites in the last year, enabling many licence owners to resume operations and ultimately improving royalties and revenue contributions from the solid minerals sector.
“The Mining Marshals have identified 457 suspected illegal mining sites and continue to train new recruits to enhance their capacity to engage in difficult terrains.
“In addition, to enhance the efficiency of engagement, MM deploys technology to overpower and overwhelm targets.
“These include the use of miniature robots and drones for surveillance and communication tools to announce early warnings to sieve unarmed civilians from armed bandits, who are the real target of our operations,” he said.
On what to expect in the next year, Alake said the gallantry of the Mining Marshals, evident from these achievements, must be evaluated in light of its logistical challenges.
“The Mining Marshals have operated as an agency compelled to draw water from a dry well. These limitations have, however, enabled the corps to demonstrate its patriotic zeal and professional dexterity.
“I wish to thank Mr President, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the National Assembly for appropriating a budget commensurate with the huge responsibilities of the Ministry in the 2025 Appropriation Act.
“It will enable us, among other things, to fully equip the MM and the Mines Surveillance with the logistical requirements for rapid response combat readiness and to scale up its coverage.
“In the first year, the MM held direct engagements across ten states: Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Kaduna, Enugu, Abia, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory.
“This year, the operations of the MM shall be strengthened all over the country to straighten the sector and protect the nation’s solid minerals.
“Secondly, with the remarkable disposition of the courts towards dispensing justice with alacrity in cases of illegal mining and diligent prosecution, MM shall secure the conviction of the 327 persons arraigned before the courts. This, we believe, will increase deterrence and promote compliance with the law.
“Thirdly, the Federal Executive Council recently approved the deployment of satellite technology to enhance the security architecture that we are putting in place. What is obvious, however, is that, for the first time, we are providing both air and ground coverage for the security of the solid minerals sector.
“Fourthly, as we strengthen these kinetic machineries, we are also working on scaling up the non-kinetic with programmes to improve bonding between the government and artisanal miners and scale up the registration of co-operatives.”
Alake also commended the success of the Mining Marshals, as they are directly connected to the professional performance and patriotic zeal of its commander, ACC Attah Onoja.
“His choice by the Commandant-General, Dr Audi, is spot on. Onoja has lived up to the responsibility of his office by turning the vision into his mission and breathing life into a combat system that has projected strategic conception, meticulous planning, and bravely calibrated execution of campaigns as the distinctive modus operandi of the MM.
“However, as the saying goes, the reward of success is more work. I challenge him to brace up for more difficult tasks in the months ahead as we consolidate our operations and flush more illegal miners from the sites to the jails.”
The Minister also thanked the Fourth Estate of the Realm, the Nigerian press, for adopting the social responsibility theory of the press in their approach to reporting on the solid minerals sector.
“I am particularly glad that the reportage has been serious, comprehensive and patriotic. It has shown that where there is serious transformational and developmental work, the press will have no time for the bizarre.
“As a mark of our appreciation of the press and commitment to professionalism, the endowment of the annual prize for the Best Report on Solid Minerals Development in Nigeria has been set up.
“It will be administered by the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME), and the inaugural event will hold this year.
“I challenge you to submit your reports for the award and join the President Tinubu government in creating more awareness for the solid minerals sector.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Mining Marshals Commandant, ACC Attah Onoja, noted that the Nigerian government’s efforts to combat illegal mining have yielded significant results in the last year.
He added that the Mining Marshals, launched with the sole purpose of sanitising the mining environment and providing security for mining sites, have made notable strides.
“The initiative aims to make the solid minerals sector an attractive area of interest for both local and foreign investors.
“The Mining Marshals’ success can be attributed to the carefully crafted standard operating procedure (SOP) signed by the Minister of Solid Minerals.
“This SOP has enabled the Mining Marshals to operate effectively without causing any professional infractions. The records show that the Mining Marshals have arrested a significant number of illegal miners, attended to petitions from legitimate miners, and helped to reclaim mining sites previously overrun by illegal activities.
“The impact of the Mining Marshals’ efforts is evident in the improved security and sanctity of the mining environment. Legitimate miners can now access their sites without fear of intimidation or harassment from illegal miners.
“As the government continues to support the Mining Marshals’ initiatives, the solid minerals sector is poised to become a significant contributor to Nigeria’s economic growth and development,” he added.
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