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Interior and Solid Minerals Development Ministries Collaborate to End Insecurity, Illegal Mining
Interior and Solid Minerals Development Ministries Collaborate to End Insecurity, Illegal Mining
By: Michael Mike
The Ministries of Interior and Solid Minerals Development have commenced a joint task to put an end to insecurity around mining sites across the country with the handling over of Mining Marshal from the former to the later.
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on Thursday formally handed over the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant General’s Mining Marshal which was newly commissioned to ensure adequate security in the mining industry to the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.
The Interior Minister who expressed optimism that the squad will end illegal mining activities soon, was represented at the handing over ceremony by the Commandant General (CG) of NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi.
The minister noted with satisfaction that the Corps had made unprecedented arrests of illegal miners including foreign nationals from China.
The squad code-named, ‘Operation Hayakinkoko’ according to the Minister is to smoke out all illegal miners who are responsible for the loss of huge national revenue from mining that is supposed to accrue from the sector.
“We are losing huge amounts of revenue from illegal mining activities”, Olubunmi stated.
The 60-member Mining Marshal, also known as the starter group was presented the the Minister of Solid Minerals Development with membership drawn across state commands based on credibility, and trained for effective service delivery under the Command of CSC John Onoja Attah, and would be replicated in all the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory.
On his part, the Commandant General of NSCDC assured the minister of bringing the activities of illegal miners to an end and hinted that already, the Corps discretely has a record of illegal mining sites in the country.
Also speaking in a welcome address, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, expressed delight in the quick response of the NSCDC by making available its personnel who are trained to address the menace of insecurity and ensure that only registered operators exist in the mining industry.
Alake who described the presentation/handing over of Mining Marshal to his ministry as symbolic and epitome of all that had been discussed at the inter-ministerial committee set up by President Bola Tinubu, applauded the Corps for bringing his ministry’s plan to fruition.
On assumption of duty in the ministry, he revealed part of his 7-point agenda in line with the renewed hope of Mr President was to create Mines Police to address insecurity in the sector, and expressed delight with the provision made by NSCDC irrespective of the nomenclature.
The Minister said the expectation of the present government is for solid minerals to contribute over 50 per cent of the nation’s revenue and decried nefarious activities of illegal mining which must be kept in check.
He maintained an inter-ministerial committee comprising ministries of Mining and solid minerals, Blue Economy, Interior and Police Affairs to fashion out ways to sanitise the industry and since then, members of the committee had worked relentlessly noting that the Marshal formed by the NSCDC and subsequent interventions by other agencies are all efforts in addressing challenges in the mining sector.
Other highlights of the event were the presentation of goodwill by the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Mining, Hon. Jonathan Gbefwi who assured the Ministry and stakeholders of the National Assembly’s support.
The legislator said with the commencement of security protection of the sector economic fortune of the country will change positively against the regrettable practice whereby local minerals are even smuggled out of the country.
Interior and Solid Minerals Development Ministries Collaborate to End Insecurity, Illegal Mining
NDLEA intercepts cocaine in Saudi-bound religious books
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed in 20 sets of religious books going to Saudi Arabia.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said the cocaine consignment consisting of 20 parcels with a total weight of 500 grammes and buried in the pages of the religious books was uncovered at a courier company in Lagos last Tuesday when NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) were searching through export cargos going to Saudi Arabia at the logistics firm.
Babafemi said at another courier company same day, NDLEA officers intercepted five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 2.8 kilogrammes hidden in a carton coming from the United States of America.
In Kano, a 22-year-old alleged supplier of illicit substances to bandits, Muhammad Mohammed, has been arrested by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bichi – Kano road while heading to Katsina with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection tied to his thigh and private part with Sellotape.
He was intercepted on Sunday 13th April, while another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was nabbed same day at Research Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano with 68 blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 30 kilogrammes.
He said not less than 557.2 kilogrammes of skunk, 5.6 kilogrammes of methamphetamine and 29.8 grammes of heroin were recovered from a house along Major General Isaiah Alllison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state where four suspects were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided the premises last Wednesday
Babafemi said the four suspects arrested during the raid include: Sarimiye Suwa, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Sarimiye Tare, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46, while a total of 1,100 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from a delivery van with the driver, Ismail Abdullahi arrested in Surulere area of Lagos last Thursday.
In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives last Friday raided the hideout of a suspect, Ike Ani, 30, in Zaria, where no fewer than 31,950 pills of tramadol 225mg and diazepam were recovered, and in Kebbi, along Bagudo road on the same day a vehicle loaded with bags of charcoal coming from Malabil, Benin Republic was intercepted, when the vehicle was search, 97 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in the sacks of charcoal was recovered.
. Three suspects: Abubakar Ibrahim, 50; Mustapha Aliyu, 32; and Bashar Lawali, 28, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
A 48-year-old Okafor Marcel was nabbed with 11.5 kilogrammes skunk at Abatete, Anambra state while NDLEA operatives in Osogbo, Osun state last Tuesday arrested Ajala Mercy, 27, with 43 litres of skushi, a mixture of black currant, cannabis and opioids recovered from her room at Dada estate, Halleluyah area of the state capital.
Babafemi said two cannabis farms in Egbeta forest, Ovia North East LGA, Edo state were raided by NDLEA operatives who destroyed 3,717.8625 kilogrammes of the psychoactive plant on 1.487145 hectares and recovered 136.5 kilogrammes of processed cannabis.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, a suspect Basorun Kayode, 40, who has been at large for two years was arrested by NDLEA officers in connection with the seizure of 107 kilogrammes Loud imported from Canada in 2023, while another suspect, Dauda Yakubu who distributes illicit drugs within the seaport community was arrested by a team of operatives last Monday.
The spokesman said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of DOGI, Kano, Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Osun, Zone 13, Edo and Tin-can commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
NDLEA intercepts cocaine in Saudi-bound religious books
Fire Guts Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
A devastating fire broke out at the Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno Local Government Area (LGA) on April 19, 2025, destroying approximately one hundred thatch and makeshift houses.
Eye witnesses said that the fire started at around 1040hrs and rapidly spread across the settlement, burning household items, foodstuffs, and other valuable properties to ashes.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and the value of the property destroyed is still being assessed.
Humanitarian officials were immediately deployed to the scene to maintain crowd control and prevent looting, while firefighters, alongside camp residents, worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames.
Fortunately, no casualties or loss of life were reported.
Fire Guts Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, Borno
Terrorists Snatch Vehicle in Monguno, Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed assailants suspected to be members of ISWAP/Boko Haram attacked and snatched a vehicle in Monguno Local Government Area (LGA) on April 18, 2025, at about 1400hrs.
Saleh Haun, a resident of the Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, reported that while he was at the Gumnari Bush Area in Monguno, four armed gunmen, riding on two motorcycles, accosted him.
The assailants, at gunpoint, seized his white Toyota Land Cruiser, before fleeing with the vehicle to an unknown location.
A Military Forward Operating Base (FOB) has been alerted, and efforts are underway to to track the assailant and recover the stolen vehicle.
Terrorists Snatch Vehicle in Monguno, Borno
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