Army Busts Illegal Mining Site in Niger State, 18 Arrested

(Commander of the NSCDC Mining Marshals, John Onoja Attah and a representative of the Nigerian Army. Photo Credit: Punch News)

Nigeria’s civil defence corps has praised the military for helping to crack down on illegal mining operations.

The Army arrested 18 suspected illegal miners at a mining site in Izom, Niger State, during a routine patrol.

The soldiers uncovered unauthorised mining activity taking place in the area.

After making the arrests, the Army handed over the suspects and items recovered from the site to the civil defence corps mining unit headquarters in Abuja.

This handover followed established procedures for cooperation between security agencies.

The effort is part of wider work by government agencies to stop illegal mining, which costs the government money through lost revenue, damages the environment and diverts Nigeria’s mineral resources away from proper channels.

The commander of the civil defence corps mining unit, Assistant Commandant John Onoja Attah, praised the Army’s work as professional, disciplined and patriotic.

He said the quick arrests and handover showed the military’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s mineral wealth and improving the mining sector.

Preliminary investigations found that the suspects had no licences, permits or connections to any registered mining company.

They could not show any legal right to mine or authorisation from relevant authorities.

Items seized from the site included motorcycles, pumping machines, crusher engines, communication devices and nearly 2.5 million naira in cash.

All the suspects are being investigated and will be prosecuted under Nigeria’s mining laws.

The civil defence corps said it would continue using intelligence-based enforcement to stop illegal mining and protect the country’s mineral resources.

Officials confirmed they remain committed to enforcing mining regulations and bringing those involved in illegal operations to justice.

A representative from an advocacy organisation also commended the military for the operation, saying their action had strengthened efforts to stop illegal mining across the country.