Minister says killers of slain officer will be “smoked out” as crackdown on illegal mining intensifies.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has vowed that those behind the killing of a police officer during an anti-illegal mining operation in Niger State will face the full weight of the law.
The officer was part of a joint patrol involving the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Police Force, local operatives and officials of Millennium Metals Mining Company. The team was attacked by armed illegal miners in Zuzungi, Kataeregi (Katcha LGA) while intercepting suspected smugglers. One officer was killed and an NSCDC vehicle was set ablaze.
Reacting, Alake said security and intelligence agencies have been placed on red alert, warning that the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.
He stressed that the tragedy would not weaken the Federal Government’s resolve to stamp out illegal mining, noting that investor confidence — evident at the ongoing Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town — must be protected.
According to the minister, Nigeria remains committed to securing the mining sector for legitimate operators and host communities.
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