Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has urged youths in Kogi State to engage their elders, community leaders and local authorities and persuade them to withdraw support for illegal mining activities.
Alake made the call on Thursday while receiving members of the Concerned Kogi Youths Against Environmental Degradation, who staged a protest at the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development over the environmental impact of illegal mining activities in parts of the state a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Lara Owoeye-Wyse, said.
The Minister thanked the youths for supporting the Federal Government’s campaign against illegal mining and assured them that the government was strengthening enforcement through the deployment of technology and the consolidation of the Mining Marshals.
Alake said Kogi State remained an area of particular concern to the Ministry, recalling that one of the earliest operations of the Mining Marshals involved the dislodgement of illegal miners from a site covered by Licence 19325 belonging to North-South Extractive Industries in Yagba East Local Government Area.
He said the Mining Marshals had continued to assist legitimate mining companies in removing illegal operators and prosecuting suspects.
According to him, between March 2024 and August 2026, the Mining Marshals identified 374 illegal mining sites, with 108 of the sites cleared.
He added that 743 suspects had been arrested, while 165 cases involving 430 accused persons were being prosecuted, with five convictions secured so far.
The Minister said investigations by committees set up by the Ministry to examine complaints from Kogi State had shown that many illegal miners were indigenes allegedly receiving support from some members of their communities.
He said illegal mining was damaging legitimate mining operations and depriving the government and Nigerians of revenue.
According to Alake, while licensed mining companies pay for licences and royalties, illegal operators exploit mineral resources without making the required payments to the government.
He warned illegal miners and their collaborators that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to eliminate illegal mining through improved technology and stronger enforcement.
“If, as you claim, you are Kogi youths, take this message to the stakeholders in your communities. Consult your elders and 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 by the Director of Mining Inspectorate, Engr. Imam Ganiyu; Director of Mining Environmental Compliance, Dr Vivian Okono; Director of Special Duties, Engr. Frank Odom; Director of Human Resources, Dr Ijeoma Idika; and the Commander of the Mining Marshals, John Attah Onoja.
Earlier, the Co-ordinator of Concerned Kogi Youths Against Environmental Degradation, Comrade Isaiah Davies Ijele, said the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of the Ministry to alleged environmental degradation in Kogi East Senatorial District, particularly in Ankpa and Omala communities.
Ijele alleged that some mining activities in the affected areas were being carried out in violation of environmental and regulatory standards, resulting in damaged roads, destroyed farmlands, polluted water sources and worsening living conditions.
He called on the Minister to order investigations into mining activities in Ankpa and Omala Local Government Areas and deploy the Mines Inspectorate and Mining Marshals to enforce relevant laws.
He also urged the government to sanction and seal mining companies found to have violated environmental and regulatory requirements.
Responding, the Director of Mining Environmental Compliance, Dr Vivian Okono, said the Ministry, following the Minister’s directive, was compiling a list of mining companies that had allegedly defaulted on their Community Development Agreements.
She said the names of defaulting companies would soon be published in addition to other penalties provided under relevant regulations.