The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has urged youths in Kogi State to prevail on their elders, traditional rulers, community leaders and local government authorities to withdraw their support for illegal miners operating in the state.
Alake, who spoke on Thursday when members of Concerned Kogi Youths Against Environmental Degradation protested to the Ministry, said the continued backing of illegal miners by community stakeholders was frustrating efforts to curb illegal mining and worsening environmental degradation.
The minister, who commended the youths for joining the federal government’s campaign against illegal mining, assured them that the ministry was deploying technology and strengthening the Mining Marshals to intensify the fight against the menace.
He said Kogi State remained a particular concern to the ministry, recalling that the first operation of the Mining Marshals was the dislodgement of illegal miners from the area covered by Mining Licence 19325, belonging to North-South Extractive Industries in Yagba East Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the Mining Marshals had also assisted several mining companies in removing illegal miners from their licensed areas and prosecuting those arrested.
He said between March 2024 and August 2026, the Mining Marshals identified 374 illegal mining sites, out of which 108 had been cleared.
Alake disclosed that 743 suspects had been arrested within the period, while 165 cases involving 430 accused persons were being prosecuted, with five convictions secured so far.
The minister said investigations by several committees constituted by the ministry and led by its permanent secretaries to examine complaints of illegal mining in Kogi had revealed that many of those involved were indigenes of the affected communities.
He said the illegal miners were often able to operate because of the support and protection provided by some elders, traditional rulers and local government functionaries.
Alake warned that the activities of illegal miners were undermining legitimate mining operations and depriving the government of revenue.
“Their illegal activities are killing the mining companies. In the coal fields, they are stealing the minerals of mining companies which have paid money to obtain licences and will still pay royalties for the minerals extracted.
“Illegal miners don’t pay for licences. They don’t pay royalties. They enrich themselves at the expense of the Nigerian people,” he said.
The minister further warned illegal miners and their collaborators that the federal government was determined to end the activities, stressing that the deployment of technology would make it increasingly difficult for them to evade enforcement agencies.
“This ministry has a message for them and their collaborators: time is running out. With the ongoing deployment of technology and the consolidation of the Mining Marshals, very soon there will be no hiding place for these criminals,” he said.
Alake therefore charged the protesting youths to take the message back to their communities and engage their elders and other stakeholders on the need to support government enforcement efforts.
“If, as you claim, you are Kogi youths, take this message to the stakeholders in your communities. Consult your elders. Convince community leaders and local authorities to back off and allow the machinery of enforcement to work diligently and effectively to combat illegal mining and stop the reckless degradation of our environment,” he said.
The minister was represented at the meeting by the Director, Mining Inspectorate, Engr. Imam Ganiyu; Director, Mining Environmental Compliance, Dr Vivian Okono; Director, Special Duties, Engr. Frank Odom; Director, Human Resources, Dr Ijeoma Idika; and Commander, Mining Marshals, John Attah Onoja.
Earlier, the Coordinator of Concerned Kogi Youths Against Environmental Degradation, Comrade Isaiah Davies Ijele, said the protest was organised to draw the minister’s attention to the worsening environmental degradation in Kogi East Senatorial District, particularly in Ankpa and Omala Local Government Areas.
Ijele alleged that mining activities in the communities were being conducted in violation of environmental and regulatory standards, resulting in damaged roads, destruction of farmlands, pollution of water sources and deteriorating living conditions.
He called on the minister to order investigations into mining activities in Ankpa and Omala, while urging the ministry to deploy the Mines Inspectorate and Mining Marshals to enforce relevant laws and seal mining companies found to be operating in breach of regulations.
Responding, the Director, Mining Environmental Compliance, Dr Vivian Okono, said the ministry was already compiling a list of mining companies defaulting on their Community Development Agreements following the minister’s directive.
She added that the names of the defaulting companies would soon be published, alongside other sanctions for non-compliance.
