The federal government says intensified efforts to curb illegal mining nationwide have led to the arrest of two suspected illegal miners at a mining site in Osun.

The enforcement operation, led by the South-West zonal mines officer, Ajibade Ganiyu, was carried out by officials of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in Ogun, Oyo, and Osun, in collaboration with security agencies. Lara Owoeye-Wise, the special assistant to the solid minerals minister, Dele Alake, announced this in a statement on Sunday.

Ms Owoeye-Wise said that the enforcement exercise targeted illegal artisanal mining camps at Ileki-Ijesa along the Ile-Ife-Ilesa road. She said mining equipment and other tools used for the illegal operation were confiscated, while the illegal miners’ major operational bases were dismantled.

Reacting to the incident, Mr Alake said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was determined to sanitise the mining sector through reforms that combined stronger enforcement, regulatory measures, intelligence gathering and sustained community engagement to curb illegal mining nationwide.

He said the establishment of the mining marshals significantly strengthened the government’s enforcement capacity, leading to the arrest of more than 300 illegal miners and the prosecution of over 150 suspects.

This, he said, included foreign nationals, while several illegal mining sites had been shut down across the country.

He said that the ongoing nationwide enforcement operations were part of a broader strategy to ensure that Nigeria’s mineral wealth benefits the country through lawful, transparent and responsible mining activities.

Mr Alake said Nigeria’s firm stance against illegal mining reflected the growing continental resolve to promote responsible mineral governance. He said the effort also aimed to curb the illicit exploitation of Africa’s mineral resources and maximise value addition for sustainable economic development.

The minister appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups and residents of mining communities to support the Federal Government’s efforts by refusing to harbour or shield illegal miners.

He also urged them to provide credible information to security agencies and the ministry to combat the menace.

“Illegal mining destroys the environment, fuels insecurity, deprives the nation of legitimate revenue and undermines the livelihoods of law-abiding miners. The fight against this menace cannot be won by government alone. Communities must become active partners in protecting their mineral resources,” he said.

According to him, 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.

He said the operation showed there would 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 remained irreversible.

(NAN)