Minister orders shutdown of illegal gold site in Abuja

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The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has ordered the shutdown of an illegal gold mining site in the Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

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Segun Tomori, the special assistant on media to the minister, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr Tomori said following reports of illegal gold mining in the Gwagwalada area, the minister directed the mining marshals to seal off the site to mitigate potential environmental hazards.

“Following reports of illegal gold mining in the Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake has directed the mining marshals to seal off the site to mitigate potential environmental hazards.

“This action comes in the wake of an earlier operation by the marshals which led to the successful recovery and sealing of a mining site around the District 2 Extension layout in Gwagwalada on 16 August 2025. Sixteen (16) arrested suspects will be prosecuted soon.

“Preliminary investigations reveal that illegal artisanal miners invaded the area after the accidental discovery of a gold vein during the digging of a soakaway pit near a residential property. The most recent incident took place on farmland located behind CKC in Gwagwalada,” the statement said.

Upon receiving intelligence reports of renewed unlawful mining activity, according to the statement, Mr Alake promptly ordered the deployment of mining marshals to secure the site.

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Conducting an on-the-spot assessment of the area on Wednesday, it said ministry officials led by the Director of Mines Inspectorate, represented by the Deputy Director, Sunday Okhuoya expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance with the minister’s directive, disclosing that relevant departments of the ministry have launched a thorough investigation to unravel the root of these incidents whilst recommending measures to prevent a recurrence.

Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) John Attah Onoja, confirmed that his team has established 24-hour surveillance over both affected sites, pending the outcome of the federal government’s ongoing inquiry.

In view of the potential environmental and public health risks associated with the illegal mining operations, Mr Alake advised residents to steer clear of the affected areas while enforcement and remediation efforts are underway.

The minister reiterated the federal government’s firm resolve to eradicate illegal mining activities across the country asserting that the ministry is fast-tracking the deployment of satellite surveillance technology to monitor mining operations nationwide and significantly strengthen enforcement capacity.

Mining without licence is illegal in Nigeria, as stipulated by the Minerals and Mining Act of 1999.

The Nigerian government, in line with the provisions of Act, grants permits for exploration and mining through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.

The Act stipulates the ownership of mineral resources, conditions for mining and/or exploration and others, but enforcement of the law is poor.

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Despite this, illegal mining persists, with both Nigerian and foreign nationals having been convicted of this offense.

Last year, the federal government shut down an illegal gold mine site in Yagba East Local Government Area (LGA) of Kogi State.

In June, a Federal High Court in Minna, Niger state sentenced five Nigerian men to one year in prison for illegal mining.