In a bid to curb illegal mining of solid minerals across the country, the Federal Government has inaugurated Mining Marshals for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC drawn from the 36 State Commands and FCT.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, performed the ceremony as part of activities to mark the 2024 International Civil Defence Day at the headquarters of the NSCDC in Abuja.
The Minister while inaugurating the 50 marshals saddled with the responsibility of protecting mining sites in the country, urged them to live up to their responsibilities in line with global best practices, being the lead agency in the protection of critical national infrastructure.
Tunji-Ojo also stressed the need for the Marshals to identify and fish out illegal miners, and called for collaboration among all security agencies in the fight against insecurity.
NSCDC Commandant-General, Ahmed Audi, while highlighting the achievements of his administration, noted that the Special Intelligence Squad has destroyed over 200 illegal refineries, arrested over 500 suspects and secured more than 200 convictions.
Officers of the NSCDC have also been tasked to get a workable implementation plan that would put an end to vandalism of power installations, telecommunication lines and solid minerals.
