The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals have shut an illegal quarry site in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, aside arresting 13 suspects linked to the operation.

The suspects, accused of working for a company that allegedly occupied and exploited a quarry lease belonging to another licenced mining firm for over seven months without authorisation, are in custody and will be arraigned in court soon.

The operation, which was carried out as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal mining, underscored government’s efforts to sanitise the sector, protect critical national assets, and curb revenue losses.

The Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) Attah John Onoja, in a statement, said the suspects were found to be working for a company which had allegedly occupied and exploited a quarry lease belonging to another licenced mining company for over seven months without legal backing.

Onoja said: “This operation underscores our commitment to zero tolerance for illegality in the Nigerian mining sector. We will not allow any individual or company to take the law into their own hands or deprive legitimate operators of their lawful rights.”

The Mining Marshals, a specialised unit of the NSCDC, were recently commissioned to tackle the widespread issue of illegal mining in Nigeria, a menace that has contributed to revenue loss, environmental degradation, and community conflict in various parts of the country.

The closure of the Kuje site comes amid rising concerns over the growing number of unlicenced and unregulated mining operations, particularly in remote or peri-urban areas where enforcement has been traditionally weak.

Speaking further, Onoja warned all mining operators to ensure full compliance with existing mining and environmental laws or risk facing the full weight of the law.