Its recovery in naira hit an all-time high of ₦1,233,612,040,411.11. In dollars, it hit $684,478,457,32. In pound sterling, it was £373,905.78, and in euros, €9,343,803.66.
Mr Oyiguh said, “The health and well-being of residents should take precedence over the economic interests of government or private operators.”
“That gap has a name: illegal mining, weak enforcement and the laundering of proceeds that should belong to the Nigerian people,” Sannio Abdulraheem said.
Mr Musa noted that many criminal networks exploited gaps in identity management.
The suspects failed to provide valid mining licences.
The defendants are being prosecuted by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) on three-count charge.
He urged interested operators to visit its Abuja office with their applications to secure the licenses.
Lagos State commandant of the NSCDC, Adedotun Keshinro, says no form of jungle justice against suspected vandals is permitted.
“The sleepless nights being ‘enjoyed’ or suffered by the Nigerian government are self-inflicted; they are the outcome of systemic failure,” the cleric said.
Mr Audi said the NSCDC deliberately set up the mining marshals’ task force to combat illegal mining and close revenue leakages.
