By Emiola Osifeso
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Wednesday, ordered Mining Marshals to immediately seal off yet another illegal gold mining site uncovered in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This latest crackdown comes barely two weeks after the same marshals raided and sealed an illegal mining site in Gwagwalada’s District 2 Extension Layout on August 16, 2025. Sixteen suspects were arrested in that operation and are now facing prosecution.
According to a statement released by the minister’s media aide, Segun Tomori, illegal artisanal miners had swooped on the area after a gold vein was accidentally discovered during the digging of a soakaway pit near a residential building. The newest incident was traced to a farmland behind CKC in Gwagwalada, raising fresh concerns about the spread of unregulated mining activities across Abuja’s suburbs.
“Upon receiving intelligence reports of renewed unlawful mining activity, Dr. Alake promptly ordered the deployment of mining marshals to secure the site,” Tomori said.
Officials from the Ministry of Solid Minerals, led by the Director of Mines Inspectorate and represented by Deputy Director, Sunday Okhuoya, carried out an on-the-spot assessment on Wednesday. They confirmed the site had been secured and announced that a deeper investigation has been launched to expose the network behind the operations.
Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) John Attah Onoja, told reporters that his men have now mounted a 24-hour surveillance around the sealed sites pending the outcome of government’s investigation.
The recurring illegal mining activity in Gwagwalada has sparked questions about how such large-scale operations continue to thrive in the FCT, despite the presence of security operatives and regulatory agencies.
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