MINING MARSHALS INTENSIFY CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL MINING ACROSS NIGERIA

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals have stepped up enforcement operations across the country as part of renewed efforts to curb illegal mining and protect Nigeria’s mineral resources. The unit said its nationwide activities are aimed at dismantling illegal mining networks, restoring order at mining sites and ensuring that operators comply with existing laws governing the sector.

Commander of the Mining Marshals, ACC John Onoja Attah, warned individuals and groups involved in unauthorised mining to stop their activities or face legal consequences. He said the unit was established to strengthen enforcement within the mining sector and protect legitimate operators whose licensed sites are often taken over or disrupted by illegal miners. According to him, the Marshals have already carried out several operations resulting in the closure of illegal camps, arrests of offenders and recovery of mining locations for legitimate operators.

Attah explained that the unit operates under relevant mining laws, including the Minerals and Mining Act and associated regulations, while also confronting challenges such as difficult terrain, inadequate logistics and resistance from entrenched interests. He stressed that the government would not allow the country’s mineral wealth to be exploited illegally, adding that stronger enforcement was necessary to protect government revenue, communities and legitimate investments in the sector.

The National President of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Dele Ayanleke, also identified illegal mining as a major economic, environmental and social threat. He noted that unauthorised extraction deprives government of revenue while contributing to land degradation, community displacement, unsafe working conditions and other hazards. He called for sustained enforcement rather than temporary crackdowns, alongside greater public awareness and stronger cooperation between authorities, miners and local communities.

The renewed campaign is expected to extend across more mining locations as the government seeks to sanitise the solid minerals sector and attract greater investment. Officials and industry stakeholders also urged journalists and members of the public to support the campaign by exposing illegal operations and providing credible information to authorities, stressing that protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources is essential to the country’s economic and environmental future.