No fewer than 21 persons have been arrested and are currently under investigation following a joint operation against illegal mining activities in Zamfara State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects were apprehended on Saturday at different illegal mining sites, including Boko Village in Zurmi Local Government Area and Kaya Village in Maradun Local Government Area.
Confirming the arrests in a statement on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, Yazid Abubakar, said the operation was carried out by the police in collaboration with personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development.
He said, “On January 31, 2026, at about 1400 hours, a joint operation comprising officers of the Anti-Illegal Mining Unit, Tactical Unit, and Bomb Disposal Unit of the Zamfara State Police Command, in collaboration with personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, Area Office Gusau, was conducted to dislodge groups of illegal miners.
“The operation targeted Boko Village in Zurmi Local Government Area and Kaya Village in Maradun Local Government Area, where illegal mining activities had been persistently reported. The raid was successfully executed, leading to the arrest of 21 suspected illegal miners.”
Abubakar added that the suspects were being held at the Taskforce on Illegal Mining Unit, noting that investigations were ongoing and that “further developments will be communicated in due course.”
In recent times, illegal mining activities in Zamfara State have been linked to banditry and other criminal activities, particularly in areas such as Maru, Anka, Tsafe, Bukkuyum, Zurmi, Bungudu, Talata Mafara and Shinkafi.
While it remains unclear whether the Federal Government’s recent decision to lift the over five-year ban on mining in the state has contributed to the resurgence of illegal activities, reports have indicated that unlawful mining persisted even during the period of the ban.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, had earlier said the ban was lifted due to improvements in the security situation, noting that the move “will boost regulated mining, improve intelligence gathering, and curb illegal activities to ensure the nation benefits from the state’s resources.”
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