Mining Marshals Seal 7 Mineral Buying Centres in Niger Over Regulatory Violations
The Mining Marshals have sealed seven mineral buying and processing centres in Kontagora, Niger State, as part of an intensified crackdown on alleged violations of Nigeria’s mining laws and efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector.
The enforcement operation, carried out on June 12, 2026, followed investigations into suspected breaches of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, and the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Regulations, 2011.
The affected companies are 17 Mines & Minerals Limited, LALO Mining Limited, AL-YAMAN Global Concept Nigeria Limited, SIMASS Mining & Trading Company Limited, YMJ Minerals & Mines Nigeria Limited, Dating Company Industry Limited, and another mineral buying facility operating within the area.
Four individuals were also arrested during the operation and are assisting investigators with ongoing inquiries.
Preliminary investigations indicated that some of the operators failed to produce the statutory licences and approvals required for mineral purchasing and processing activities. Authorities also discovered that some minerals were allegedly sourced from suppliers without the complete documentation prescribed under existing mining regulations.
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The Mining Marshals said the licences and approvals presented by the affected operators would undergo further verification in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and other relevant regulatory agencies to determine their compliance status.
The enforcement team also recovered significant quantities of minerals, including monazite, iron ore and zircon, estimated to be worth several millions of naira. The recovered minerals remain under investigation and are subject to applicable legal procedures.
Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commander of the Corps (ACC) John Attah Onoja, said the operation underscores the agency’s commitment to strengthening compliance, safeguarding Nigeria’s mineral resources and eliminating illegal practices within the mining value chain.
According to him, the agency will continue to target illegal mineral trading networks by focusing not only on illegal miners but also on buyers who facilitate the illicit trade.
“Where there are no buyers of illegally mined minerals, illegal mining cannot thrive. Our enforcement efforts will continue to target every link in the illegal mining value chain to ensure that only lawful and properly regulated mineral trading activities are permitted,” Onoja said.
By PRNigeria
