NSCDC Mining Marshals Seal Illegal Lithium Site in Kebbi, Allege ₦1.43trn Mineral Theft
In a decisive enforcement action, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), through its elite Mining Marshals unit, has sealed an illegal lithium mining site in Libata, Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi State, over alleged gross violations of the nation’s mining laws.
The mining site, operated by Three Crown Mines Limited, is now at the centre of a staggering mineral theft investigation. Authorities allege that the company, in connivance with unnamed foreign collaborators, illegally extracted lithium worth ₦1.43 trillion over a two-year period, marking one of the largest mineral-related heists in Nigeria’s history.
The amount, ₦1,431,762,340,450, is not only jaw-dropping in scale, but also emblematic of the systemic lapses in Nigeria’s extractive industry, which officials say has long been exploited by rogue operators and regulatory evaders.
According to a statement by the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Onoja, Three Crown Mines grossly exceeded the scope of its Small Scale Mining Licence (SSML) and Exploration Licence. Investigators further allege that the firm illegally encroached into cadastre units belonging to other legal titleholders, an offence that violates the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act of 2007 and its 2011 regulatory framework.
“Beyond operating outside their licensed zones, the company’s actions amounted to large-scale economic sabotage,” said Onoja. “The proceeds from this illegal operation are liable to forfeiture upon court application.”
The sealing of the mining site followed a coordinated inspection involving federal and state mine officers, security personnel, and company representatives. The shutdown, officials said, was “surgical, final, and uncompromising.”
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As part of ongoing investigations, the NSCDC served a Federal High Court summons to the directors of Three Crown Mines for interrogation in Abuja. However, on the scheduled appearance date—July 21, 2025—the directors failed to show up, with their legal counsel, Mr. Y.C. Maikyau, SAN, citing “inconvenience.”
In a swift response, the Mining Marshals rejected any delay tactics, warning that any attempt to frustrate the investigation would be met with legal consequences. They demanded a rescheduled date for appearance to be jointly agreed by all parties.
The case has sparked national attention not only due to its fiscal magnitude, but also because lithium is a globally strategic mineral critical to the energy transition. Nigeria’s lithium reserves are seen as vital to the country’s economic diversification under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Commenting on the development, the Commandant General of NSCDC, Prof. Abubakar Ahmed Audi, mni, described the crackdown as part of a wider institutional drive to sanitise the mining sector.
“The enforcement of laws that protect national revenue is foundational to Nigeria’s prosperity,” he declared. “We are committed to ending the culture of impunity in the solid minerals sector. Mineral theft is not a compoundable offence.”
The incident comes on the heels of another enforcement milestone, where Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company was recently fined ₦2 billion for regulatory breaches following a separate NSCDC-led probe.
With growing international interest in Nigeria’s mineral resources, especially lithium, the Ministry of Solid Minerals under Dr. Dele Alake has ramped up efforts to curb illegal mining and strengthen transparency in the sector.
For now, the sealing of the Libata site sends a clear signal that the federal government is ready to match rhetoric with action in its quest to reclaim Nigeria’s mineral wealth from criminal exploitation.
PRNigeria reports that more legal actions are expected in the coming days, as investigators deepen their probe and pressure mounts on those complicit in the massive theft of the nation’s critical assets.
