The Minister of Solid Mineral Development Dr Dele Alake announced that 327 suspects in Nigeria have been arrested for illegal mining since the launch of the Mining Marshal (MM) in 2024.
Arak, speaking at a press conference on Friday, March 21 to mark the first anniversary of the MM operation, highlighted the impact of safe clothing in combating illegal mining in the country’s solidifying mineral sector.
“The Marshal has arrested 327 suspects of illegal mining,” Alak said, adding: “The ministry has worked with other agencies to prosecute 143 individuals nationwide since MM started operations in 2024.”
The Mining Marshal was established on March 21, 2024 as a specialized security force to track and curb illegal mining activities. The department is composed primarily of officials from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Alake revealed that one of the main goals of MM 2025 is to ensure convictions of those who have been arraigned, which according to him will be a deterrent force and strengthen compliance with mining regulations.
The Minister acknowledged the support of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Army, thanks to their efforts in the disinfection mining sector.
“This month, the federal high court in Ilorin, Kwara State sentenced two foreigners Yangsha and Wu Shan Chuan to jail for illegally mining solid minerals in cases prosecuted by the EFCC.”
“We also commend the EFCC for its diligent prosecution of illegal miners. Last May, the EFCC successfully prosecuted and secured another year of imprisonment in another federal high court and secured the conviction of two other foreigners, Duan Ya Hong and Xiao Yi, who also sat in Ilorin, Kwara, Kwara, he added.”
Alake stressed the severity of illegal mining, revealing that some companies work with individual miners to participate in the practice.
“According to our records, MM recovered 98 locations last year. This allowed many license owners to return to the site and resume operations. This will ultimately improve royalties and increase the contribution of solid minerals to the country’s revenues.”
He added: “So far, MM has identified 457 suspected illegal mining sites and has improved intelligence gathering at these sites.”
The minister noted that MM’s business has focused so far on ten states: Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Kaduna, Kaduna, Enugu, Abia, Kwara and the federal capital territory. He assured that the security service will expand its coverage to other regions by 2025.
To strengthen its business, Arak confirmed that it would recruit other personnel and provide more logistics (including vehicles and equipment) to MM.
John Attah, the commander of the mining marshal, expressed his gratitude at the event and urged the public to view MM’s mission as a national project.
