The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, has said that its Mining Marshals have arrested no fewer than 671 suspected illegal miners, with 397 already charged before the Federal High Court.
The corps also revealed that convictions have been secured as part of the federal government’s intensified crackdown on illegal mining.

The Commander of the Mining Marshals, ACC Attah John Onoja, made the disclosure on Monday while representing the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, at an event in Abuja.

According to him, the Mining Marshals, established by the federal government in 2024, have disrupted numerous illegal mining sites across the country, shut down illegal operations, seized mining equipment and restored several mining locations to their legitimate licence holders.

He attributed the arrests to the professionalism of the Mining Marshals, robust inter-agency collaboration and sustained support from the Federal Government.

Onoja revealed that the renewed enforcement efforts have significantly improved compliance with mining regulations and contributed to increased government revenue from the solid minerals sector.

He further called for dedicated budgetary support, deployment of surveillance technology, establishment of a national mining intelligence situation room and the designation of special Federal High Court judges to expedite the prosecution of illegal mining cases.
Quoting the Solid Minerals Development Fund, SMDF, he said revenue from the mining sector rose by 337 per cent between 2023 and 2026, increasing from about N6 billion in 2023 to over N70 billion by June 2026. He noted that the figures corroborate earlier reports crediting the federal government’s mining reforms for attracting investments and boosting earnings.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, called for practical solutions to illegal mining, insecurity and illicit financial flows while the Ad-hoc Committee Chairman on Mineral Exploitation, Security and Anti-Money Laundering at the House of Reps, Sanni Abdulraheem, called for more collaboration among security agencies, regulatory institutions, mining operators and host communities to end illegal mining.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Muhammad Sani to 20 years’ imprisonment for concealing information about notorious bandit leader Kachalla Dan Karami.

The development was disclosed in a post shared on X on Tuesday by security analyst Bakatsine.

According to Bakatsine, the court found Sani guilty of withholding information that could have assisted security agencies in tracking and arresting Dan Karami.

The analyst said the defendant’s actions enabled the notorious bandit leader to evade security operatives, leading to his conviction and 20-year prison sentence.

“A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Muhammad Sani to 20 years in prison for helping conceal information about notorious bandit leader Kachalla Dan Karami, a move that reportedly enabled him to escape from security operatives.

“This case is a reminder that bandits and armed groups often rely on more than just weapons, they also depend on people willing to protect them from within. The bigger question is; how many more collaborators are still operating unnoticed?,” Bakatsine wrote.

Wife of one Edet George, a resident of Ikot Akpan Afaha Village, Akwa Ibom State has narrated her husband threatens her and the whole family with a single barrel gun at any slight provocation.

She made the disclosure following the arrest of the husband and recovery of the firearm by police operatives.

A statement by the commands Public Relation Officer, Timfon John on Tuesday, disclosed that the suspect was arrested after credible intelligence indicated that he owned a firearm and habitually threatens members of the community with the weapon.

The command said, ”A thorough search of the suspect’s premises led to the recovery of one single-barrel gun and eight (8) rounds of live cartridges concealed within the residence.

”During the course of the investigation, the suspect’s wife (name withheld), made a statement confirming that the suspect frequently used the firearm to intimidate and threaten not only members of the community but also his own family, including herself and their children.”

The Police said the recovered firearm and ammunition have been taken into custody, while preliminary investigations are ongoing to establish the source of the weapon, determine its legality, and ascertain whether it has been used in the commission of any criminal offences.

She reiterated the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Azare’s commitment to combating the proliferation of illegal firearms and ensuring that individuals who unlawfully possess weapons or use them to terrorise innocent citizens are brought to justice.