Three suspected illegal miners were reportedly arrested yesterday by the security architecture of the Ministry of Solid Mineral known as Mining Marshal and their illegal mining site sealed at Gaube, Kuje area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The development was based on efforts at curtailing illegal mining and revenue loss in the mining sector.
The operation was led by an Assistant Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) John Onoja Attah through meticulous intelligence gathering and surveillance.
The Mining Marshals is a specialised unit of NSCDC and has been working tirelessly to identify and dismantle illegal mining operations across the country.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects lacked any authentic documentation that authorises their activities on the site.
Furthermore, it was discovered that a legitimate mining company with the necessary permits for the same location was unable to access the site due to the illegal miners’ activities and resistance.
“This is a clear case of illegal miners displacing lawful miners and investors which would not be tolerated,” Attah said.
The suspects, who voluntarily confessed to the offence admitted to have been operating on the site for over a year. As at the time of their arrest, over 2,000 tons of lithium was on the ground, highlighting the scale of the illegal operation.
“Whereas, we met about 2000 tons of lithium on the ground, the quantity of lithium mined since the commencement of their operation can’t be quantified as they were not being recorded due to the illegality of their operations,” Attah added.
The seized minerals and equipment on site have been marked as exhibits for prosecution and further investigations are ongoing to uncover the extent of the illegal activities.
This latest crackdown, according to the Commandant, is part of a broader effort to combat revenue loss in the mining sector and the success, he noted, is attributed to the collaborative efforts of the Honourable minister of solid minerals development, Dr Dele Alake and the Commandant General of NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi.