The Federal Government has arrested two suspected illegal miners during a major crackdown on illegal mining activities in Osun State, declaring that there will be no hiding place for operators and sponsors of the illicit trade.
The suspects, Danladi Isa and Musa Kabiru, were arrested during a joint operation by officials of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and security agencies at an illegal mining site in Ileki-Ijesa, along the Ile-Ife/Ilesa Road.
According to the ministry, the two suspects are already assisting investigators with useful information that could lead to the arrest of those sponsoring the illegal operation.
The raid, carried out by officials from the ministry’s Ogun, Oyo and Osun offices alongside security operatives, followed credible intelligence on illegal mining activities in the area.
Although several suspects escaped into nearby bushes on sighting the enforcement team, two were arrested while a large cache of mining equipment was seized.
Recovered items include two motorcycles, pumping machines, Lister generators, washing equipment, large hose pipes, gold-trapping carpets, cutlasses and other mining tools.
The illegal mining camp was dismantled and the site sealed in line with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.
Speaking after the operation, the Southwest Zonal Mines Officer, Mr. Ajibade Ganiyu, said the exercise was part of the Federal Government’s sustained war against illegal mining and environmental destruction.
He said the ministry, under the leadership of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, would continue surveillance and enforcement operations across the Southwest and other parts of the country to restore sanity to the mining sector.
Also speaking, the Osun State Mines Officer, Mr. Wasiu Adeboye, warned that sponsors and financiers of illegal mining would not escape justice.
“This operation sends a clear message that illegal mining will no longer be tolerated. Sponsors, financiers and perpetrators will continue to face the full weight of the law,” he said.
Reacting to the operation, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, said the Tinubu administration had made sanitising the mining sector a top priority through tougher enforcement, intelligence gathering, regulatory reforms and community participation.
According to him, the establishment of the Mining Marshals has strengthened enforcement efforts, leading to the arrest of over 300 illegal miners and the prosecution of more than 150 suspects, including foreign nationals, while several illegal mining sites have been shut down nationwide.
He said the ongoing nationwide crackdown was aimed at ensuring that Nigeria’s mineral resources are exploited legally, transparently and responsibly for the benefit of the country’s economy.
Alake, who also chairs the African Mineral Strategy Group (AMSG), appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders and residents of mining communities to support the government’s campaign by exposing illegal miners.
“Illegal mining destroys the environment, fuels insecurity, deprives the nation of legitimate revenue and undermines the livelihoods of law-abiding miners. The fight cannot be won by government alone. Communities must become active partners in protecting their mineral resources,” he said.
The minister assured Nigerians that intelligence-driven operations would continue across mining communities, insisting that there would be no safe haven for illegal miners or those sponsoring their activities.
Tags: Illegal Mining, Osun State, Dele Alake, Mining Marshals, Solid Minerals, Tinubu Government, Mining Crackdown, Security, Arrest, Nigeria
Meta Description: The Federal Government has arrested two suspected illegal miners in Osun State and vowed to hunt down their sponsors as it intensifies its nationwide crackdown on illegal mining and environmental crimes.
