Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Federal Government has assured that more weapons and equipment will be supplied to boost the fire power of Mining Marshals to combat illegal mining.
Reacting to the loss of an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, during an operation to counter illegal mining in Niger State, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake vowed that those involved would be smoked out.
He said appropriate security intelligence personnel and agencies have been put on red alert to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“The illegal miners responsible for the murder of the gallant officer in active service will be made to face the full wrath of the law. Their arrest and prosecution will send the right signal that this administration maintains zero tolerance for all forms of illegal mining and will do everything possible to defend its agents from murder,” Alake said
Alake, who established the Mining Marshals from the NSCDC as a special agency to enforce compliance with mining laws and checkmate illegal miners said the criminal murder of the officer and arson perpetrated on the agency’s vehicle will not deter the Federal Government from securing the sector to promote legal miners and mining communities.
He said the massive investor interest in Nigeria at the on-going Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town mandates the Ministry to sustain confidence in the sector and crush violent actors.
The Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Aniviye, confirmed the death of one of its personnel and the burning of one operational vehicle in an attack by some suspected illegal miners at Zuzungi, located at Kataeregi in Katcha local government area of the state, on a joint patrol team.
Also, Deputy Superintendent of Corps Rabiu Muti, said the incident occurred at about 12:30 am on February 11, while the team was trying to intercept individuals suspected of illegally smuggling extracted minerals from the mining area.
