…illegal mining amounts to economic sabotage under Nigerian law.
NIGER, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Suspected illegal miners on Thursday carried out a deadly assault on a joint security patrol in Niger State, killing an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and setting an operational Hilux vehicle ablaze during a crackdown on unlawful mining.
The attack occurred at Zuzungi village near Kataeregi in Bosso Local Government Area as the joint task force was carrying out an enforcement operation to curb illegal mining in the area.
The patrol team comprised personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the NSCDC, and local security operatives known as Anti-Drugs Control (ADC), working in collaboration with Millennium Metals Mining Company.
It was learnt that officials of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, led by the Commissioner, Alhaji Mohammed Qasim Danjuma, had earlier visited the community on a sensitisation campaign, warning residents and operators to desist from illegal mining activities.
Following credible intelligence that the illegal operations persisted, the joint security team moved into the area but encountered strong resistance from the miners. The situation escalated into a violent clash during which the security personnel were overwhelmed and an NSCDC officer was killed.
The attackers also torched one of the Corps’ operational Hilux vehicles in the process.
Reacting to the development, Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, through the Corps’ Public Relations Officer, DSC Abubakar Rabiu Muti, condemned the attack as criminal and barbaric.
He described the incident as a direct challenge to constituted authority and a threat to Nigeria’s economic stability, stressing that mining sites and solid mineral resources are classified as critical national assets. According to him, illegal mining amounts to economic sabotage under Nigerian law.
The commandant reaffirmed that the NSCDC remains the lead agency responsible for protecting mining sites and enforcing anti-illegal mining laws in collaboration with other security agencies.
Aniviye warned individuals and groups involved in illegal mining across the state to desist, stating that the Corps would not tolerate attacks on officers performing lawful duties.
He vowed that those behind the assault would be apprehended and prosecuted, assuring that there would be no safe haven for the perpetrators or their accomplices.
He also urged residents, particularly those in mining communities, to provide credible information to security agencies to support ongoing investigations.
