To curb illegal mining and strengthen enforcement across the solid minerals sector, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has launched a nationwide deployment of specially trained Mining Marshals across seven operational zones.
Spearheaded by the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, the intervention marks a major decentralization of mining enforcement operations.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony held at the Corps’ National Headquarters in Abuja, Professor Audi, who unveiled ten rugged operational vehicles said they are designed to support the Marshals in surveillance, intelligence-led patrols, and rapid tactical response.
He said the decentralization initiative is a bold operational reform targeted at mining hotspots, noting that he deployment of Mining Marshals to all seven zones shows the scaling up of the Corps' capacity to confront illegal mining operations head-on.
Audi explained that the officers have been equipped and trained to engage professionally and lawfully in protecting solid mineral assets from economic saboteurs.
The NSCDC Commandant General, emphasized that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s economic diversification agenda and reinforces the its statutory mandate to protect critical national assets and infrastructure.
He called on host communities, licensed mining operators, and regulatory agencies to collaborate with the Marshals by reporting suspicious activities promptly.
The NSCDC boss reaffirmed the Corp's unwavering commitment to promoting lawful mining practices, preserving the environment, and combating the illegal exploitation of the nation’s mineral resources.