Three Foreigners Arrested as FG Raids Illegal Mining Site in Nasarawa

The Federal Government has shut down an illegal mining site in Rafin-Gabas, Kokona LGA of Nasarawa State, arresting three foreign nationals in a major crackdown led by the Mining Marshals.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, confirmed the raid in a statement on Thursday, describing it as a significant victory in the ongoing fight against illegal mining and corruption within the sector.

According to the minister, the illegal site had long operated under the protection of compromised security personnel, but a well-coordinated operation enabled the marshals to dismantle the site and arrest key suspects. Several others reportedly escaped, allegedly aided by security operatives.

Commander of the Mining Marshals, John Onoja, said a manhunt is ongoing for the fleeing suspects, while investigations continue to identify and prosecute security officers involved in the illegal activities.

The company behind the site and some fugitives are said to have pending criminal cases at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Since their deployment in 2024, the Marshals—trained from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)—have arrested 327 suspects and prosecuted 143 in a sweeping campaign to sanitise Nigeria’s mining sector.