Government launches crackdown on illicit mining operations, apprehends two individuals in Osun state

The Federal Government has taken a significant step towards eliminating illicit activities in the mining sector, with the arrest of two suspected illegal miners at a site in Osun State, as announced by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Lara Owoeye-Wise, on Sunday evening.

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The suspects, Danladi Isa and Musa Kabiru, both in their twenties and casual workers, are providing investigators with valuable information to help track down their sponsors, according to the statement.

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The operation, which was carried out by officials from the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in Ogun, Oyo, and Osun State offices, in collaboration with security agencies, targeted an illegal mining site at Ileki-Ijesa along the Ile-Ife/Ilesa Road.

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Acting on a tip-off, personnel from the Solid Minerals task force raided the site, and although some suspects fled into nearby bushes, two were apprehended, and their mining equipment and tools were confiscated.

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The enforcement team dismantled the major operational bases established by the illegal miners and recovered items including two motorcycles, pumping machines, Lister generators, washing equipment, large hose pipes, gold-trapping carpets, cutlasses, and other mining implements.

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The illegal site has been sealed off in accordance with the law, and the Southwest Zonal Mines Officer, Mr. Ajibade Ganiyu, who led the team, stated that the operation is part of the Federal Government's efforts to enforce compliance with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.

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Mr. Ganiyu emphasized that the Ministry, under the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Henry Dele Alake, remains committed to conducting continuous surveillance and enforcement operations to eliminate illegal mining and restore sanity to the sector.

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The Osun State Mines Officer, Mr. Wasiu Adeboye, warned that sponsors, financiers, and perpetrators of illegal mining will face the full weight of the law, as the operation sends a clear message that such activities will no longer be tolerated.

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Reacting to the incident, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, said that the Tinubu administration has made the sanitisation of the mining sector a national priority through far-reaching reforms that combine stronger enforcement, regulatory reforms, intelligence gathering, and community engagement.

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According to Dr. Alake, the establishment of the Mining Marshals has significantly strengthened the government's enforcement capacity, leading to the arrest of over 300 illegal miners and the prosecution of over 150 suspects, including foreign nationals, and the closure of several illegal mining sites across the country.

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The Minister stated that the ongoing nationwide enforcement operations are part of a broader strategy to ensure that Nigeria's mineral wealth benefits the country through lawful, transparent, and responsible mining activities.

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Dr. Alake, who also serves as Chairman of the African Mineral Strategy Group (AMSG), said Nigeria's firm stance against illegal mining reflects the growing continental resolve to promote responsible mineral governance and maximise value addition for sustainable economic development.

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The Minister appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups, and residents in mining communities to support the Federal Government's efforts by refusing to harbour or shield illegal miners and by providing credible information to security agencies and the Ministry.

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Dr. Alake emphasized that illegal mining destroys the environment, fuels insecurity, deprives the nation of legitimate revenue, and undermines the livelihoods of law-abiding miners, and that the fight against this menace cannot be won by the government alone.

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The Minister assured Nigerians that the Ministry will sustain intelligence-led enforcement operations across all mining corridors and continue working closely with security agencies to dismantle illegal mining networks and ensure that offenders are brought to justice.

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The Nigerian Government has reiterated that there will be no safe haven for illegal miners or their sponsors, as efforts to sanitise the sector and reposition it as a major driver of national economic growth remain irreversible.