The Federal Government has shut down an illegal gold mining site in Osun State as part of renewed efforts to tackle unlawful mining activities and bring those financing the operations to justice.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, disclosed that a joint task force, working alongside security agencies, raided the illegal mining site in Ileki Ijesa, arrested two suspects, confiscated mining equipment and sealed the location.
According to the minister, the suspects are assisting investigators with information that could lead to the identification and prosecution of the individuals financing and sponsoring illegal mining activities.
Alake said the government’s objective is not only to arrest illegal miners but also to dismantle the criminal networks that profit from the unlawful exploitation of the country’s mineral resources.
He revealed that the Mining Marshals have so far arrested more than 300 illegal miners and prosecuted over 150 individuals, including foreign nationals.
The minister warned that illegal mining continues to threaten agriculture, contaminate water sources and contribute to insecurity in affected communities. He urged residents to report suspicious mining activities, assuring them that the government’s enforcement campaign would continue.
The crackdown forms part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s solid minerals sector by promoting licensed mining, encouraging local mineral processing and increasing government revenue from the industry.
In recent months, the Federal Government has supported several major mining projects, including a $200 million lithium mining and processing plant in Zamfara State and a large-scale lithium processing facility in Nasarawa State.
The government has also announced the discovery of a new polymetallic mineral province in Kaduna State containing valuable resources such as gold, lithium, nickel, copper, platinum group metals and rare earth elements.
With global demand for lithium expected to rise sharply in the coming years due to the expansion of electric vehicles, battery storage and renewable energy technologies, the government says its strategy is to strengthen enforcement against illegal mining while expanding legal mining operations and domestic mineral processing.
