The Federal Government has arrested two suspected illegal miners and shut down an illicit mining operation in Osun State, as part of an intensified nationwide crackdown on illegal solid minerals extraction.
The suspects, identified as Danladi Isa and Musa Kabiru both in their twenties and described as casual workers are currently in custody assisting investigators, who hope their cooperation will lead to the arrest of the operation’s masterminds.
Coordinated Raid on Ile-Ife-Ilesa RoadThe operation was jointly executed by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development’s Ogun, Oyo and Osun state offices, working alongside security agencies.
Officers targeted illegal artisanal mining camps at Ileki-Ijesa, along the Ile-Ife-Ilesa Road, after receiving credible intelligence.
According to a statement issued Sunday by Lara Owoeye-Wise, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, personnel from the Solid Minerals Task Force moved in on a tip-off.
Several suspects fled into nearby bushes upon sighting the enforcement team, but two were apprehended. The team also confiscated mining equipment and dismantled the operational bases used by the illegal miners, sealing the site in accordance with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.
Equipment HaulItems recovered from the site included two motorcycles, pumping machines, Lister generators, mineral washing equipment, large hose pipes, gold-trapping carpets, cutlasses and other mining tools.
Officials Vow Continued EnforcementSouthwest Zonal Mines Officer Ajibade Ganiyu said the raid reflects the Federal Government’s sustained push to enforce compliance with mining laws, protect the environment, and curb illegal exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral wealth.
He added that surveillance and enforcement operations would continue across the Southwest and beyond. Osun State Mines Officer Wasiu Adeboye issued a stern warning to those behind such operations, saying the exercise should signal that illegal mining “will no longer be tolerated” and that sponsors, financiers and perpetrators “will continue to face the full weight of the law.
“Minister: Over 300 Illegal Miners Arrested NationwideReacting to the Osun operation, Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake said sanitising the mining sector remains a national priority under the Tinubu administration, driven by stronger enforcement, regulatory reforms, intelligence gathering and community engagement.
Alake noted that the ministry’s Mining Marshals initiative has led to the arrest of more than 300 illegal miners and the prosecution of over 150 suspects including foreign nationals alongside the closure of multiple illegal mining sites across the country.
He called on traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups and residents in mining communities to support enforcement efforts by refusing to shelter illegal miners and by sharing credible intelligence with security agencies and the ministry.
