Nigeria arrests 347 illegal miners, prosecutes 143

The Federal Government has arrested 347 suspects for illegal mining and prosecuted 143 across the country since the Mining Marshals (MM) began operations in 2024.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, disclosed this at a news conference marking the one-year anniversary of the MM operations on Friday in Abuja.

The MM, a security outfit in the solid minerals sector, was inaugurated on March 21, 2024, to address the surge in illegal mining activities across the country.

The security personnel were drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and trained in strategic and tactical skills to detect, engage, and combat illegal miners, bandits, and other criminal elements in the sector.

MM began operations with 2,220 personnel, which has since been increased to 2,670.

Alake said a key target for the marshals in 2025 was to secure the conviction of the 327 individuals arraigned in court to enforce compliance with the law.

He also acknowledged the contributions of government agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the army in the efforts to to sanitise the solid minerals sector.

The minister said: “This month, the Federal High Court, Ilorin, Kwara State, sentenced two foreigners, Yang Chao and Wu Shan Chuan, to prison for illegal mining of solid minerals following a case prosecuted by EFCC.

“We also commend the EFCC for its diligent prosecution of illegal miners.

“In May last year, the EFCC successfully prosecuted and secured the conviction of two other foreigners, Duan Ya Hong and Xiao Yi, to one year of imprisonment for illegal mining at another Federal High Court, also sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State.”

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