Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has launched a blistering attack on local communities in Kogi State, accusing traditional rulers, elders, and local government functionaries of actively shielding illegal miners and facilitating the economic sabotage that has crippled legitimate mining operations across the state. The Minister's direct broadside came during a protest visit by the Concerned Kogi Youths Against Environmental Degradation at the Ministry's headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, where he pulled back the curtain on government findings that the individuals destroying local ecosystems are not foreign invaders but indigenes harboured by their own leaders.
"Investigations have revealed that illegal miners are not aliens, but indigenes involved in illegitimate livelihoods with the support of elders, traditional rulers, and local government functionaries," Alake stated firmly. Expressing profound frustration over community-backed sabotage that undermines legitimate operators, the Minister highlighted how local complicity directly starves the national economy while enriching a select few at the public's expense. "Their illegal activities are killing the mining companies," Alake warned. "In the coal fields, they are stealing the minerals of mining companies which have paid money to obtain licences and will still pay royalties. Illegal miners don't pay for licences. They don't pay royalties. They enrich themselves at the expense of the Nigerian people".
Represented by a delegation of senior officials led by the Director of Mining Inspectorate, Engr. Imam Ganiyu, and Mining Marshals Commander, John Attah Onoja, the Minister urged the youth delegation to redirect their activism towards their own backyards and challenge the protective cover provided by local elites. "This ministry has a message for them and their collaborators: time is running out," he declared. "If, as you claim, you are Kogi youths, take this message to the stakeholders in your communities. Consult your elders. Convince community leaders and local authorities to back off and allow the machinery of enforcement to work diligently and effectively".
Despite local resistance, Alake underscored that federal enforcement is making significant headway. He revealed that the Mining Marshals have identified 374 illegal mining sites across the country between March 2024 and August 2026, of which 108 have been cleared. "We have arrested 743 suspects; we are prosecuting 165 cases involving 430 accused persons. So far, we have secured five convictions," Alake said, warning collaborators that "time is running out" as advanced technology and expanded marshal operations roll out. The Minister noted that Kogi State remains a major area of concern, with the first operation of the Mining Marshals having been the dislodgement of illegal miners from an area covered by Mining Lease No. 19325, belonging to North-South Extractive Industries in Yagba East Local Government Area.
Alake commended the protesting youths for supporting the Federal Government's campaign against illegal mining and assured them that the Ministry was deploying technology and strengthening the Mining Marshals to intensify the fight. "With the ongoing deployment of technology and the consolidation of the Mining Marshals, very soon there will be no hiding place for these criminals," he warned. His comments signal the government's determination to pursue mining sector reforms regardless of institutional friction, with the Minister having previously warned that anyone—uniformed or civilian—blocking the marshals' mission qualifies as an economic saboteur who will face consequences.
Earlier, the leader of the youth group, Comrade Isaiah Davies Ijele, had lamented the severe ecological ruin in Kogi East—specifically across Ankpa and Omala communities—where unregulated operators have wrecked roads, poisoned water sources, and decimated farmlands. Responding to the grievances, the Director of Mining Environmental Compliance, Dr. Vivian Okono, assured the delegation that the government is compiling a comprehensive list of defaulting mining firms violating their Community Development Agreements, promising that sanctions and public exposure are imminent.
The Minister's broadside against Kogi communities comes amid escalating tensions between the Mining Marshals and other security agencies, with a bitter dispute having recently claimed the life of a marshal. Alake has moved swiftly to defend the controversial enforcement unit, framing the Mining Marshals as essential tools in reforming Nigeria's mineral extraction industry and noting that critics have vested interests, with many opponents profiting directly from illegal mining networks that have drained Nigeria of billions in lost revenue. He praised the marshals' track record, noting they have successfully dismantled numerous illegal mining operations nationwide.
As the Federal Government intensifies its crackdown on illegal mining, Alake's message to Kogi communities is unmistakable: the era of complicity and complacency is ending, and those who continue to shield criminals will face the consequences. The battle for Nigeria's mineral wealth is entering a new, more aggressive phase—and the Minister has made it clear that local collaborators will not be spared.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments