457 illegal mining sites identified in one year – Minister

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, on Friday said the mining marshals have identified 457 suspected illegal mining sites in the last one year.

Mr Alake disclosed this while speaking at the first year anniversary of the mining marshals in Abuja on Friday.

He added that the mining marshals have also recovered over 98 sites in the last one year. This, he said, has enabled many license owners to return to site and resume operations.

“According to our records, the mining marshals have recovered over 98 sites in the last one year. This has enabled many license owners to return to site and resume operations. This will, ultimately, improve royalties and raise the contribution of the solid minerals to the country’s revenue.

“So far, the mining marshals have identified 457 suspected illegal mining sites and have improved intelligence gathering on these sites,” Mr Alake said.

He explained that in 365 days, the activities and impact of the mining marshals have demonstrated that the diagnosis of the problems and the panacea the ministry adopted regarding security in the sector are accurate and effective.

He said the visibility and activities of the mining marshals have raised awareness of the enforcement capacity of the federal government in the effort to combat illegal mining.

This, he said, has established considerable deterrence among illegal miners.

“To demonstrate that there has been a clear paradigm shift in the strategy for containing illegal mining, the Mining Marshals have arrested 327 persons in the last one year. The cases are being prosecuted at various courts across the country,” he said.

Mr Alake further explained that the illegal miners had occupied the duly licensed areas for a decade and more, displacing the actual owners.

“The licensees were in jeopardy. To retain the licences, they had to pay the annual service fee for a site they could not access. Also, they could not implement their work plans. Therefore, I directed the Mining Marshals to move to such sites, flush the illegal miners and restore the sites to the legitimate owners.

“The first clearance operation took place at Mining Lease 19325 of North South Extractive Industries Limited located in Jagula, off Isanlu in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State where over 3,000 illegal miners were digging and carting away precious grams of gold whereas the real owners, who obtained the licence in 2016 were barred by threats from operations,” he said.

He noted that the mining marshals flushed them out completely and stationed men on site to maintain law and order till date.

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Since then, he said, the mining marshals have recorded similar success stories by restoring the sites of Ganan Mining Limited (ML 56757 covering 72 cadastral units or 14,4 kilometres) in Kuje, Federal Capital Territory; Jinloys Nigeria Limited with Quarry Lease 22284 in Uru Lopaukwu Autonomous Community, Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State; and Orbit Exploration and Natural Products Limited with Mining Lease 772 covering 208 cadastral units or 41.6 square kilometres in Ankpa Local Government Area, Kogi State.

“Mining marshals continue to train new recruits and the officer-corps to enhance vigilance, combat readiness and awareness of new developments on the field. This has increased its capacity to engage even in very difficult terrains.”

In addition, to enhance the efficiency of engagement, he said, the mining marshals deploy technology to overpower and overwhelm targets.

“These include the use of miniature robots and drones for surveillance and communication tools to announce early warnings to sieve unarmed civilians from armed bandits which are the real target of our operations,” he said.