NSCDC Shuts Down Over 640 Illegal Mining Sites Nationwide In Aggressive Enforcement Drive

In a bold move to sanitize Nigeria’s mining sector, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has closed over 640 illegal mining sites across the country.

This was announced by Commandant General (CG) Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi during the Corps’ final quarterly meeting of 2025 in a statement signed by CSC Afolabi Babawale, National Public Relations Officer.

Presiding over the high-level gathering attended by Deputy Commandants General, Assistant Commandants General, Commandants of Corps, and state operations heads, Prof. Audi vowed that the Mining Marshals would intensify rigorous enforcement until all illegal operators are eradicated.

“The operatives of the Mining Marshals will continue their rigorous enforcement activities until the entire sector is sanitized,” he declared, emphasizing the Corps’ mandate under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ to protect critical national assets from economic sabotage.

The CG highlighted parallel efforts in combating oil vandalism, revealing that 1,872 spots had been detected nationwide – with 1,271 in the Niger Delta alone – and placed under surveillance to curb revenue losses and support the government’s 3 million barrels per day production target.

Beyond mining closures, Prof. Audi urged personnel to tackle banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, insurgency, and communal clashes while decrying school abductions and calling for stakeholder collaboration.

He reaffirmed commitments to VIP protection, ongoing recruitment for manpower boosts, and personnel welfare, with cheques totaling ₦464 million presented to 125 beneficiaries for insurance claims.

Deputy Commandant General Administration, DCG Adeyinka Fasiu Ayinla, welcomed participants by noting strategic reforms in capacity building and operational readiness that drove 2025 achievements.