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Tag: Illegal Miners

  • NSCDC arrests 15 suspected illegal miners in Plateau

    NSCDC arrests 15 suspected illegal miners in Plateau

    The Plateau Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested 15 suspected  illegal miners including minors.

    ASC Ruth Rimvyok, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Jos.

    She explained that the suspects were arrested in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state

    ”NSCDC has the mandate to protect critical national assets and as part of the Executive Order 001 issued by the Plateau Government, we have noticed a rise in illegal mining being done around critical national assets.

    ”More disheartening is the fact that minors are being  used to carry out these illegal mining activities in the state.

    ”We have arrested 15 suspects with 13 of them who are minors.

    ”We want to warn those using these minors for this illegal act to desist henceforth or face the full wrath of the law,”she warned

    Rimvyok called on parents to discourage their wards from engaging in the illegal activity, insisting that anyone caught would not be spared.

    Speaking, Mr Ahmed Mohammed, the Federal Mines Officer in charge of the North-Central Zone, said that the arrest was in collaboration with his office.

    Mohammed, who decried the spate of illegal mining in homes, said that mining operations were regulated by the Federal Government.

    ”We now have an unfortunate trend in Jos; people are mining inside their buildings, in some cases, even in their bedrooms.

    ”People should know that mining is a regulated business under the Nigeria’s Minerals and Mining Act 2007.

    ”Nobody has the right to conduct mining anywhere without a licence; so people should obtain the right licenses to mine in areas that are allowed.

    ”We will not condone illegal mining in any part of the state and so we urge communities to embrace the opening provided by the government and do mining in a legal way,”he warned.

    The officer said that owners of the properties who allowed illegal mining operations on their facilities would be arrested.

  • CDS, IGP deny aiding, abetting activities of illegal miners

    CDS, IGP deny aiding, abetting activities of illegal miners

    The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, and the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, have denied suggestions that their personnel provide security for illegal miners in the country.

    The duo made the denial  at a public hearing convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Mineral Resources.

    The hearing, which was conducted on Thursday in Abuja, was coordinated by Rep. Jonathan Gaza, chairman of the committee.

    The security chiefs were  responding to a query by the Committee that the members of the armed forces and the police were providing security for illegal miners.

    The committee had based its stance on “reliable reports”.

    According to the CDS, represented by the Director of Operations, Defence Headquarters, AVM Nnaemeka Ilo, army personnel only provide protection for legitimate requests made by legitimate miners, who operate in conflict-inflicted areas.

    He said the armed forces of Nigeria was ever ready to give all the necessary support needed to stop illegal mining.

    “It is not our primary duty, but part of our responsibility is that whenever the civil authority tasks us to do something, we have to do that.

    “So, for the Armed Forces to be here, it shows we are ready to support the agencies involved in stopping illegal mining, including the civil defence, police and the ministry.”

    He dismissed insinuation of supporting illegal miners as ”simply untrue”.

    “If there is any such allegations, please we would want to know which of the mines, or who brought the allegations so that we would take it up from there.

    “If there is any such allegation, we want to know who brought that up, but as it is, that is a lie, sir.

    “Legitimate requests are made for the military to give protection to legitimate miners that licence have been issued to, in conflict-inflicted areas.

    “Once we get such requests, what we normally do is to write to the Ministry of Mines.

    “In fact, we direct them to send their letters to the Ministry of Mines. So, if the Ministry of Mines requests us, because of the nature of the environment, because of the conflict, we do sometimes give protection.”

    He, however, said that such protection was limited to those people licensed by the government to carry out mining activities from the Ministry of Mines, based on requests from the ministry.”

    Also, the Inspector General of Police, who was represented by AIG Ademola Hamzat, said no responsible organisation paid by the public would do anything that would be against the wish of the people.

    He said the police often provide security  to some individuals established to be under serious threat, especially in crisis areas.

    “But, from my own office, there is nothing to show that we protect any illegal mining site,” he said.

  • Minister directs new marshals to smoke out illegal miners

    Minister directs new marshals to smoke out illegal miners

    The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has directed mining new marshals drawn from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to smoke out illegal miners and all those who flout the nation’s mining laws.

    Alake gave the directive while inaugurating the first batch of mining marshals drawn from the NSCDC to combat illegal mining.

    He said that 60 marshals have been specially trained and deployed to the 36 states across the federation and the Federal Capital Territory

    The minister  said that the newly activated Mining Marshal Corp, which currently has 2,220 personnel is an inter-agency security outfit established to secure the mining environment.

    He said that plans are underway for other security sister agencies to integrate their officers in to the outfit structure across the country for a robust output.

    According to the minister, the ministry plays a pivotal role in supporting the operations of the mine marshals to ensure their success.

    `Effective intelligence gathering through our state mines inspectorate, harnessing valid data of troubled mining areas and giving the requisite directives for precise operations are necessary factors for coordination of the activities of the marshals.

    The minister earlier held a closed-door meeting with the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, to discuss securing the mining environment.

    Badaru stated that the federal government was already making a headway in routing illegal miners, as clearance operations have commenced in some troubled spots.

    President Bola Tinubu set up a presidential Inter-ministerial committee on Jan.17 to produce a blue print for securing Nigeria`s natural resources, which comprises of mineral sites, marine economy and the forest.