Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, recently made claims about illegal mining operations in the country while speaking at the sectoral briefing organised by the federal government on the occasion of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first year in office.
Alake who mounted the podium to speak about the achievements of his ministry so far, said arrest and prosecution of illegal mining operators, including foreign nationals, were things that never happened a year before the administration assumed power.
Speaking on the creation of mine marshals and their achievements since they commenced operation, Alake said, “Today, I am happy to announce to you that just within some few weeks of operation, the mine marshals have been able to apprehend over a hundred or two hundred illegal operators in the country. As we speak here, over a hundred and thirty-two of such persons are undergoing prosecution right now. In fact, only about a week ago, two foreign nationals were jailed as a result of conducting illegal operations. These were things that never happened a year ago and they are happening now. That is to tell you that our Renewed Hope Agenda is working and will continue to work.”
Tinubu took the oath of office on May 29, 2023. Subsequently, he appointed Alake, who was sworn in as the minister of Solid Minerals in August 2023. In March 2024, the administration launched mine marshals to engage illegal miners and secure mining sites in the country.
Claim: The arrest and prosecution of illegal mining operators, including foreign nationals, never happened in the previous year.
Verification
To verify the claim, we checked for reports of arrest and prosecution of illegal miners, including foreign nationals, between 2022 and 2023 ahead of the creation of the mine marshals.
In January 2022, the Nigeria Police arrested three Chinese and 18 others over illegal mining in Nasarawa State. The illegal gold miners were reportedly caught with weapons and linked to kidnappers. Also in January 2022, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested six illegal miners in Edo state. In October 2022, a Chinese national, arrested in September, was sentenced to five years imprisonment in Ilorin, Kwara state over illegal mining.
In March 2023, a father of 6 was jailed for 12 months in Kwara state over illegal mining. In July, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) arrested 13 Chinese nationals for illegal mining activities in Kwara. In August, the Akwa Ibom state government clamped down on a company operated by Chinese nationals engaging in illegal mining activities. Also in December 2023, the Kogi state government arrested 10 illegal miners operating in the state.
These multiple media reports show that there have been arrests and prosecutions of illegal miners operating in the country before the launch of mine marshals.
Verdict: FALSE
The CDD War Room found multiple media reports showing arrests and prosecution of illegal miners, including foreign nationals between 2022 and 2023, long before the launch of the mine marshals by the Tinubu administration.
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