The federal government has inaugurated eight operational gun trucks for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals as part of an intensified campaign against illegal mining, as the two-year-old specialist unit reported having arrested more than 300 illegal miners and prosecuted over 150 suspects with several convictions involving both Nigerian and foreign offenders.

Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake, speaking at the inauguration ceremony, said the Mining Marshals had played a crucial role in safeguarding the country’s mineral wealth and supporting the government’s economic diversification drive through the solid minerals sector. He pledged that additional technological equipment and armoured vehicles would be provided once budgetary allocations were secured, and warned that individuals and groups seeking to undermine anti-illegal-mining efforts would face the full weight of the law.

The inauguration was accompanied by the launch of a commemorative publication titled “The Guardians of Nigeria’s Solid Minerals: Two Years of Commitment and Service by the Mining Marshals,” documenting the unit’s record since its establishment.

Representative of the Minister of Interior Major General Abdulmalik Jibrin praised the collaboration between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and pledged continued support through enhanced training, funding, and operational capacity for the Marshals.

NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Audi, represented by Deputy Commandant General Zakari Ibrahim Ningi, described the support from the Ministry of Solid Minerals as unprecedented and assured that the newly commissioned vehicles would be deployed effectively in ongoing operations. National Commander of the Mining Marshals John Attah Onoja expressed appreciation for the logistics support, saying it would significantly enhance operational efficiency.