The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Ebonyi State Government have imposed an immediate ban on all unauthorised mining operations, warning offenders to vacate the state or face prosecution.
The enforcement directive emerged from a joint press briefing at the NSCDC Command Headquarters in Abakaliki, where officials outlined a comprehensive crackdown aimed at safeguarding public revenue, curbing environmental degradation, and protecting critical infrastructure.
“Artisanal miners who take the law into their hands must understand that those days are over,” declared NSCDC Ebonyi Commandant Francis Nnadi. “Statutory requirements and basic operational conditions must be met. Without these in place, all mining activities must cease immediately.”
Nnadi also issued a final ultimatum to unlicensed buyers and mineral traders operating without valid permits, warning that anyone caught would face the full weight of the law. He confirmed that NSCDC personnel are collaborating with local communities, state officials, and sister security agencies to ensure compliance, with offenders to be prosecuted as a deterrent.
In a stern warning to contractors, Nnadi reminded construction firms against damaging telecommunications fibre-optic cables and public utilities during project execution. “These underground cables connect all of us. If contractors damage or vandalise them while carrying out business, we will hold them accountable,” he emphasised, noting that the Corps is working with Federal and State Works Ministries to ensure due diligence before earthworks commence.
Echoing the Commandant’s resolve, Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development Chinedum Nkah described the solid minerals sector as a vital revenue driver for Ebonyi State—second only to statutory federal allocations. “We cannot under any circumstances accommodate attempts to sabotage this sector,” Nkah stated. “Sabotaging solid minerals means sabotaging Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration in delivering the ‘People’s Charter of Needs’ to our citizens.”
While recognising that many citizens earn livelihoods through artisanal mining, Nkah stressed that operators must register with the Ministry to facilitate accurate record-keeping and differentiate legitimate miners from illegal operators. “A federal license does not give anyone the liberty to operate with impunity in Ebonyi State,” he asserted.
The Commissioner revealed that a task force has been established to monitor mining sites for environmental compliance, particularly requiring companies to reclaim and cover open pits after extraction. “We will no longer tolerate situations where miners extract billions of Naira, cart away profits, and leave abandoned pits that pose death traps to our people,” Nkah declared.
In the coming days, the Ministry will collaborate with the NSCDC to train task force members on operational guidelines, legal frameworks, and intelligence-sharing protocols. The state government and security agencies have urged members of the public to assist law enforcement by reporting suspicious mining activities and infrastructure vandalism within their communities.