The Federal Government’s efforts to combat illegal mining received a significant boost with the recent arraignment of several individuals, including eight Chinese nationals and one Nigerian, for illegal mining activities in the Lokpaukwu community, Umuchieze, within Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.
The suspects were apprehended by the Mining Marshals, an elite security unit drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The Marshals, tasked with ridding the mining sector of illegal operators, were a creation of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, as part of his 7-point agenda aimed at sanitizing the mining environment. This initiative, known as “Operation Hayakin Kogo,” is pivotal to the minister’s strategy.
In a statement on Friday, Segun Tomori, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, disclosed the arrests. He mentioned that the trial of the suspects began the previous day before Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The prosecution has filed a 3-count charge against the defendants, including allegations of mining without lawful authority and obstruction of lawful mining operations.
The defendants are SHEN YONGCHAN, MO BAIXIAN, XIAO BIN, HUANG XU FA, MA BINGLI, YANG JIAN, LI PEIYIN, QUE WENYONG, HIYK EDWARD DESMOND, and WANDA COMPANY LIMITED. Following the initial hearing and arguments from both sides, the defendants were remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre pending the continuation of the trial.
The Mining Marshals, led by ACC John Onoja, consist of a 2,570-strong force dedicated to eradicating criminal syndicates’ activities in mining areas across the country. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development is committed to strengthening the operations of the Mining Marshals by infusing technology and providing more equipment to ensure that the nation fully benefits from its mineral resources.
