In a statement released on Monday, Segun Tomori, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, announced the arrest of individuals involved in illegal mining activities. According to the statement, the suspects admitted to engaging in illicit operations at a site covering five cadastral units since December 15, 2021, extracting minerals such as fluorite, zinc, lead, and tin.
The statement noted that the company had disregarded repeated legal directives to formalize its activities, continuing instead to exploit the nation’s resources and inflict significant revenue losses on the federal government.
The statement further highlighted the role of the Mining Marshals, a 2,570-member elite task force within the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), established by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, to combat illegal mining. So far, over 200 arrests have been made, with approximately 140 cases currently under prosecution across the country.
“The Federal Government remains committed to sanitizing the mining sector,” the statement read. “The Mining Marshals’ operations will persist until the sector is secure and safe for legitimate investors.”