Illegal Mining: Nigerian govt arrests three Chinese nationals, two others

The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development said its mining marshals arrested three Chinese nationals and two Nigerians last week at a mining site located at Rafin-Gabas, Agwada Area Council in Kokona LGA of Nasarawa State.

Segun Tomori, the special assistant on media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

“The federal government’s onslaught against illegal mining continues to gather momentum as the Mining Marshals, acting on credible intelligence, last week swooped on an illegal mining site in Nasarawa State.

“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,” the statement said.

Mr Tomori explained that the suspects were arrested for mining without lawful authorisation.

He said some of the minerals being mined include fluorite, zinc, lead, and tin.

“The arrested suspects confessed to have been on illicit activities at the site spanning five cadastral units since 15th December 2021.”

He added that the company defied all lawful advice to regularise its activities and continued siphoning the nation’s resources, causing significant revenue losses to 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) conceptualised 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 sanitising the mining sector. Hence, the operations of the Mining Marshals will be unrelenting until the mining environment is secure and safe for genuine investors,” he said.