An illicit quarrying operation in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has been closed by the Mining Marshals of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.  Thirteen defendants have been charged in court and are awaiting official arraignment after being arrested in connection with the illegal actions.  

The operation represents another significant step in the government's nationwide war on illegal mining and was conducted as part of ongoing national efforts to sanitize the mining industry and safeguard vital national assets.

Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) Attah John Onoja, the Commander of the Mining Marshals, said in a statement on Thursday that the suspects were employed by a business that had allegedly occupied and exploited a quarry lease owned by another licensed mining company for more than seven months without any legal support.

The statement quoted Onoja as saying, “This operation underscores our commitment to zero tolerance for illegality in the Nigerian mining sector.

“We will not allow any individual or company to take the law into their own hands or deprive legitimate operators of their lawful rights.”

A specialized division of the NSCDC called the Mining Marshals was recently tasked with addressing Nigeria's pervasive illegal mining problem, which has led to financial loss, environmental damage, and intercommunal strife across the nation.  

Enforcing adherence to mining regulations and making sure that all mining operations throughout the federation are carried out within the legal parameters are additional duties assigned to the unit.  

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps' Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, whose strategic leadership continues to direct the Corps' efforts in reducing illegalities throughout vital national sectors, provides the Mining Marshals with motivation in the form of implicit guidance.

Concerns over the increasing number of illegal and unregulated mining operations, especially in rural or peri-urban regions where enforcement has historically been lax, have led to the closure of the Kuje site.  There was a risk to the environment and public safety since the location in question had been operating without the required paperwork, safety procedures, or environmental safeguards.

Source