The minister of solid minerals development, Dele Alake, says he has directed the mining marshals to shut down an illegal gold mining site in the Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The directive followed reports of illegal gold mining in the area and the federal government’s determination to mitigate potential environmental hazards.

Mr Alake made this known in a statement by his special assistant on media, Segun Tomori, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the move followed an earlier operation in which the marshals sealed a mining site at the District 2 Extension layout in Gwagwalada on Aug. 16, 2025, where 16 suspects were arrested and would soon be prosecuted.

The mining marshals had, on Aug. 8, announced the closure of an illegal quarry operating within the Kuje Area Council of the FCT on July 31, during which 13 suspects were apprehended.

The minister disclosed that preliminary investigations showed that illegal artisanal miners invaded the Gwagwalada site after the accidental discovery of a gold vein during the digging of a soakaway pit near a residential property.

He added that the most recent incident occurred on a farmland located behind Christ the King College (CKC) in Gwagwalada.

Mr Alake said that after receiving reports of renewed illegal mining, he immediately ordered the deployment of the marshals to secure the site.

He disclosed that the ministry officials who conducted an on-the-spot assessment had expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance with his directive.

According to him, the relevant departments of the ministry have launched a thorough investigation to unravel the root causes of these incidents and to recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.

Similarly, the commander of the mining marshals, ACC John Onoja, confirmed that his team had established a 24-hour surveillance over both the affected sites, pending the outcome of the federal government’s ongoing inquiry.

Mr Alake stressed that in view of the potential environmental and public health risks associated with the illegal mining operations, the residents should avoid the affected areas while enforcement and remediation efforts are ongoing.

He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to eradicating illegal mining activities and repositioning the sector for national development.

“The ministry is fast-tracking the deployment of satellite surveillance technology to monitor mining operations nationwide and significantly strengthen enforcement capacity,” he said.

(NAN)