Three Chinese, 2 Nigerians arrested for illegal mining

Three Chinese and two Nigerian nationals have been arrested for unlawful mining activities in Nasarawa State by Mining Marshals draughted from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, or NSCDC, as the fight against illegal mining heats up. 

The Mining Marshals, acting on reliable intelligence, raided an illegal mining site in Nasarawa State last week, and "the operation led to the arrest of three Chinese nationals and two Nigerians on a mining site located at Rafin-Gabas, Agwada Area Council, Kokona LGA, Nasarawa State," according to a statement signed by Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development.

The statement reads, “The suspects were arrested for mining without lawful authorisation. Some of the minerals being mined include Fluorite, Zinc, Led, and Tin. The arrested suspects confessed to having been on illicit activities at the site spanning five (5) cadastral units since 15th December 2021. 

The corporation continued to syphon off the nation's resources and disregarded all legal advice to regularise its operations, resulting in large losses for the federal government.

“It will be recalled that the 2,570-strong Mining Marshals, an elite squad of specially trained officers drafted from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) conceptualized by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake has been taking the battle to illegal miners, with over 200 arrests so far, and about 140 undergoing prosecution across the country.

“The federal government remains committed to sanitizing the mining sector. Hence, the operations of the Mining Marshals will be unrelenting until the mining environment is secure and safe for genuine investors.”

Source