The Nigerian government has initiated legal proceedings against individuals arrested for illegal mining activities in Kogi and Ondo states as part of an ongoing effort to regulate and clean up the mining sector. This development was revealed in a statement by Segun Tomori, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, on Monday.
In Kogi State, the Mining Marshals, during an operation named ‘Operation Hayakin Kogo,’ arrested two Chinese nationals and a Nigerian in the Ikah community of Ankpa LGA for engaging in unauthorized mining activities. Similarly, in Ondo State, four suspects were apprehended at an illegal gold mining site in the Ogunlepa, Oluwa Forest Reserve, Odigbo LGA. The suspects admitted to operating without the necessary licenses or authorization during interrogation.
All the suspects from both states have been charged to the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The arrests were made by the Mining Marshals, a 2,570-strong force drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). This force is part of a broader initiative by Minister Dele Alake to sanitize and reform the mining sector, which includes a seven-point agenda aimed at combating illegal mining activities.
Minister Alake reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminating illegal mining by enhancing the operations of the Mining Marshals, incorporating technology, and implementing satellite monitoring of mining sites. He urged those involved in illegal mining to comply with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (NNMA) to avoid facing the full force of the law.
