Security and regulatory agencies have joined a new operation against unauthorised mineral extraction in Nasarawa State, with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) coordinating the exercise through its Mining Marshals.
The corps has identified the safety of arrested suspects among the operation’s objectives. The announcement comes as authorities investigate the deaths of 37 miners detained by the NSCDC in Niger State over allegations of illegal mining.
In a statement on Thursday, Mining Marshals commander, Assistant Commandant of Corps Attah John Onoja, outlined plans for the participating agencies to pool intelligence and improve their ability to uncover illegal mining networks.
Onoja said the collaboration would support efforts to break up those networks across parts of Nasarawa. Alongside action against unlawful extraction, the operation would seek to bring mining activities into compliance with applicable regulations.
He described the protection of arrested suspects as another purpose of the joint approach, linking their safety to cooperation among the institutions taking part.
The commander said growing recognition of illegal mining’s security implications had informed the operation. He explained that the authorities viewed unlawful extraction as a concern extending beyond its economic consequences.
His assessment covered the effects on communities and the environment, as well as government revenue and confidence among investors. These concerns, he said, formed part of the case for involving several security and regulatory institutions in enforcement.
Onoja added that the Mining Marshals would continue enforcing mining laws and protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources under the policy direction of NSCDC Commandant-General Ahmed Abubakar Audi.
The Nasarawa announcement follows federal intervention over the Niger State deaths. The government suspended the NSCDC’s state commandant, while President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatalities.
Tinubu directed investigators to examine the arrests, conditions at the detention facility, the medical attention available to detainees and the events preceding their deaths. He also said administrative sanctions must not replace criminal investigation or prosecution where evidence establishes culpability.
Accounts of what caused the deaths differ. The NSCDC cited a suspected illness, while survivors interviewed by the Associated Press described overcrowding and poor ventilation and suggested that the detainees might have suffocated. Investigators have yet to establish the cause in the reports reviewed.