The Federal Government has arrested 327 illegal miners over the past year since the establishment of the Mining Marshals, according to Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the Marshals Corps, Alake revealed that 147 persons are currently being prosecuted across various courts nationwide.

He lauded the impact of the special enforcement unit in tackling illegal mining, stating that within a year, 98 mining sites have been recovered and legally licensed operators have regained access to their sites.

In March 2024, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated the Mining Marshals to secure mining sites across Nigeria and enforce mining laws. The initial 2,200 officers in the pioneer unit have now increased to 2,679 personnel, with an additional 450 recruits, including 350 new officers, added throughout the year.

Alake emphasized that the initiative has significantly deterred illegal mining, which had crippled legitimate businesses and posed serious security risks.

“The activation of the Mining Marshals sent shivers down the spine of illegal miners. It is no longer business as usual,” he declared.

The minister further explained that before the intervention of the Mining Marshals, several licensed mining companies had lost access to their sites due to illegal encroachment, with some miners occupying these areas for over a decade.

“In 365 days, the impact of the Mining Marshals has demonstrated that our diagnosis of the problems and the panacea we adopted regarding security in the sector are accurate and effective.

“To demonstrate this, the Mining Marshals have arrested 327 persons in the past year, with cases being prosecuted across various courts in the country,” he further stated.

One of the landmark operations cited by Alake was at North-South Extractive Industries Limited in Kogi State, where over 3,000 illegal miners were flushed out.

Other sites recovered include: Ganan Mining Limited (Kuje, FCT); Jinloys Nigeria Limited (Abia State); and Orbit Exploration and Natural Products Limited (Kogi State)

Alake revealed that 457 suspected illegal mining sites have been identified, with enhanced intelligence-gathering efforts leading to several successful enforcement operations.

He added, “The first clearance operation took place at Mining Lease 19325 in Jagula, Kogi State, where over 3,000 illegal miners were digging and carting away gold, while the real owners, who had obtained the licence in 2016, were barred by threats from operating.


https://punchng.com/mining-marshals-crackdown-on-illegal-miners-arrest-327-recover-98-sites/