The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, 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 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.
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.
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.