Honourable Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru Abubakar, CON, mni, announced significant progress in the government’s efforts to combat illegal mining activities. During his visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, Minister Badaru disclosed that clearance operations have commenced in troubled areas, resulting in illegal miners vacating.

“The illegal miners are already vacating due to the minister’s warnings. Where necessary, we’ll provide reinforced security to ensure the mining sector operates efficiently, maximizing revenue for the nation,” Minister Badaru stated.

Following a closed-door meeting, Minister Alake emphasized the collaboration between agencies, highlighting the deployment of 2,220 civil defence corps as part of the newly unveiled Mines Marshal initiative. Plans are underway to integrate officers from sister agencies into the outfit nationwide.

Minister Alake underscored the Ministry’s role in intelligence gathering, leveraging state mines inspectorates to gather data on troubled areas and provide directives for precise operations.

The 60 Mines Marshal, operational in all states and the FCT with specially trained operatives, marks the first layer of the enhanced security architecture for mining areas.