Mining Marshals reclaim 90 sites, prosecute 300 offenders — Alake

By Kunle Sanni –

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, says the introduction of Mining Marshals by the administration of President Bola Tinubu has led to the restoration of more than 90 mining sites previously occupied by bandits, marking a major breakthrough in the government’s efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s mining sector.

Speaking at the South-West Leaders Conference held in Akure, Ondo State, on Wednesday, Alake said the Mining Marshals — established in collaboration with the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo — have not only reclaimed sites from illegal operators but have also begun prosecuting over 300 offenders under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.

“In collaboration with my brother, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, we established the Mining Marshals from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps,” Alake stated. “The Mining Marshals have restored over 90 mining sites illegally occupied by bandits to the legitimate licensees and are prosecuting over 300 violators of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.”

The minister said the progress achieved through the initiative was instrumental in President Tinubu’s recent decision to lift the five-year ban on mining activities in Zamfara State, which had been imposed due to rampant insecurity and illegal mining.

According to Alake, the creation of the Mining Marshals forms part of the broader reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to strengthen security, attract investment, and enhance accountability in the solid minerals sector. He added that the government’s efforts are already yielding results, with increased investor confidence, improved revenue generation, and the return of legitimate miners to previously abandoned sites.

He noted that the ministry’s ongoing reforms — anchored on a seven-point agenda — have positioned the solid minerals sector for sustainable growth and competitiveness, with revenue from mining activities rising sharply in the last two years.

Alake reiterated the government’s commitment to ending illegal mining through both enforcement and empowerment, stressing that the administration is combining security measures with community development, cooperative formation, and digital monitoring systems to ensure transparency in mineral extraction and trade.

He urged traditional and local leaders, especially in the South-West, to support the fight against illegal mining and embrace the government’s push for value addition and formalisation of mining operations, saying, “Our past is a story already told, but our future shall be written in gold.”