The Federal Government has arrested two suspected illegal miners and shut down an illegal mining camp in Osun State as part of its ongoing crackdown on unlawful mining activities across Nigeria.
The suspects, identified as Danladi Isa and Musa Kabiru, both in their twenties, were arrested during a joint enforcement operation at Ileki-Ijesa along the Ile-Ife-Ilesa Road. According to officials, the pair are casual workers and are assisting investigators with information that could lead to the arrest of those financing the illegal operation.
The raid was carried out by officials of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development from Ogun, Oyo and Osun States, working alongside security agencies after receiving credible intelligence about illegal artisanal mining activities in the area.
A statement issued on Sunday by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Lara Owoeye-Wise, said members of the ministry’s Solid Minerals Task Force stormed the mining camp following a tip-off. While several suspects escaped into nearby bushes on sighting the enforcement team, two suspects were apprehended and a large cache of mining equipment was seized.
The enforcement team also dismantled the operational base used by the illegal miners and sealed the site in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act. Recovered items included two motorcycles, pumping machines, Lister generators, mineral washing equipment, large hose pipes, gold-trapping carpets, cutlasses and other tools allegedly used for illegal mining.
Leading the operation, the Southwest Zonal Mines Officer, Ajibade Ganiyu, said the raid forms part of the Federal Government’s sustained efforts to enforce mining regulations, protect the environment and preserve Nigeria’s mineral resources from illegal exploitation. He assured that surveillance and enforcement operations would continue across the South-West and other parts of the country.
Also speaking, the Osun State Mines Officer, Wasiu Adeboye, warned that sponsors and operators of illegal mining activities would continue to face the full weight of the law, stressing that the government remains committed to restoring order in the mining sector.
Reacting to the operation, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the Tinubu administration has prioritised sanitising the mining industry through stronger enforcement, intelligence gathering, regulatory reforms and community engagement. He revealed that the establishment of the Mining Marshals has resulted in the arrest of more than 300 illegal miners and the prosecution of over 150 suspects, including foreign nationals, while several illegal mining sites have been shut down nationwide.
The minister urged traditional rulers, community leaders and residents of mining communities to support the government’s efforts by reporting illegal mining activities and refusing to provide shelter for those exploiting the nation’s mineral resources unlawfully.
