By The Metro 
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Monday warned mining operators across the country against engaging in illegal activities, saying those who violate mining laws and regulations will face prosecution.
The warning was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Attah.
The development came a few days after the NSCDC Mining Marshals intensified enforcement operations nationwide in a renewed push to sanitise Nigeria’s solid minerals sector and curb illegal mining.
The specialised enforcement unit said its operational teams, particularly in the South-West, had made progress in ensuring mining activities comply with existing laws and regulatory requirements.
However, Attah warned operators against flouting mining regulations, stressing that ignorance of the law would not shield offenders from prosecution.
He said, “Ignorance of the law will never be an excuse. Every operator must ensure that mining activities are conducted within the ambit of the law.
“Those who choose to operate outside the regulatory framework will face the full weight of legal consequences.”
Continuing, the commander said the intensified enforcement drive was aimed not only at tackling illegal mining but also at protecting legitimate investors, improving revenue generation and restoring confidence in a sector that has faced persistent regulatory violations and economic sabotage.
According to him, compliance with mining laws is critical to ensuring that the country’s mineral resources are exploited safely, sustainably and in a manner that benefits the national economy.
Illegal mining has remained a major challenge to the sector, contributing to revenue losses, environmental degradation and the exploitation of mineral resources outside the regulatory framework.
The renewed enforcement campaign is part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to reform the solid minerals sector, which has been identified as a key component of Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.
Nigeria is endowed with a wide range of commercially viable solid minerals, including gold, lithium, limestone, coal, bitumen and tin, but the sector has continued to operate below its potential amid concerns over illegal mining, insecurity, weak regulation and the activities of unlicensed operators.
Successive governments have sought to reposition the sector as an alternative source of revenue and foreign exchange as the country attempts to reduce its dependence on crude oil.
The latest enforcement operations also align with the reform agenda of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, which has stepped up efforts to attract investment, strengthen regulation and clamp down on illegal resource exploitation.
The ministry has repeatedly emphasised the need for operators to comply with licensing and other regulatory requirements, arguing that improved enforcement and investor protection are necessary to unlock the sector’s economic potential.