By MARTHA AGAS

The Mining Marshals have shut down an illegal tin mining site in Damau community, Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, confirmed this in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Monday in Abuja.

Alake said non-kinetic measures were employed in the operation, combining community engagement and diplomacy to secure the success.

?The operation focused on a tin-rich site legally owned by Trobell Minerals Limited, which had been occupied by illegal miners for several months.

?Community members reported that the activities had caused significant economic losses, environmental degradation, and heightened insecurity in the area,? he said.

He explained that coercive measures as enforcement method were suspended, as the marshals prioritised dialogue, consulted traditional leaders, and mobilised local support.

According to him, this approach led to the peaceful exit of the illegal miners under official supervision without incident.

The minister said that a respectable community leader had described the diplomatic approach as commendable, as the illegal activities had posed a serious threat to lives, livelihoods, and investment, and that the intervention brought a much-needed relief.

?The peaceful resolution in Damau contrasts with previous clashes at illegal sites in other parts of the country where enforcement operations have often turned confrontational,? he said.

Alake urged communities nationwide to support the Federal Government?s efforts to combat illegal mining by cooperating with the Mining Marshals to identify and apprehend offenders.

?The Kaduna operation could serve as a model for future interventions if we get the buy-in of locals and community leaders.

?Illegal mining and insecurity remain major obstacles to the development of the mining sector.

?However, the outcome in Damau offers a glimpse of how a mix of enforcement and dialogue can turn the tide.

?I urge communities to cooperate with us to deal with this menace and restore investor confidence in the sector,? he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government has arrested 327 suspects and prosecuted 143 for illegal mining since the Marshals began operations in 2024.

The Marshals, drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were trained in tactical skills to combat illegal miners, bandits, and other criminal elements. (NAN)

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