The Mining Marshal of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested three Chinese citizens for illegal mining in Nasarawa State.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake announced their arrest on Monday evening in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori.
Tomori said the Mining Marshal of the NSCDC arrested the three Chinese nationals while conducting a major crackdown on illegal mining sites in Nasarawa on Monday.
He added that in a bid to intensify efforts against economic sabotage, the operation resulted in the arrest of two Nigerians alongside the three Chinese nationals.
Acting on credible intelligence, the Mining Marshals targeted an illegal mining site in the Rafin-Gabas area of the Agwada Area Council in the Kokona Local Government Area (LGA).
Alake in the statement emphasised a strong commitment to protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure and promoting sustainable mining practices.
“The suspects were arrested for mining without lawful authorization. Some of the minerals being mined include fluorite, zinc, lead, and tin,” Tomori said.
“The arrested suspects confessed to having been involved in activities at the site spanning five (5) cadastral units since December 15, 2021.
“The company defied all lawful advice regarding their activities and continued siphoning the nation’s resources, causing significant revenue losses to the federal government.”
It will be recalled that the 2,570-strong Mining Marshals, an elite squad of specially trained officers drafted from the NSCDC and conceptualised by Alake has been taking the battle to illegal miners with over 200 arrests so far made and no fewer than 140 undergoing prosecution across Nigeria.
He explained that the federal government remains committed to sanitising the mining sector. “Hence, the operations of the Mining Marshals will be unrelenting until the mining environment is secure and safe for genuine investors.”
