By KELECHI OGUNLEYE

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals have warned illegal mining operators across the country to desist or face imprisonment by a court of law.

The mining marshal Commander, Attah Onoja, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The commander emphasized that illegal mining offences attracted zero fine penalty but rather jail terms at the discretion of a Federal High Court sitting judge.

?You will hardly hear anything like fines in illegal mining offences although judgments and punishment are at the discretion of the court based on the circumstances of the case but I can assure you that the punishment is not palatable.

?For now we are appealing to those engaging in illegal mining operations because they are citizens that have not been arrested yet.

?However, since they are not under the weight of the law yet, they have the opportunity to change and learn from the experiences of those carrying out similar illegitimate activities and have been arrested by the mining marshals.

?The mining marshals is a non-compromising unit so when you are finally arrested you will face the full wrath of the law and these offences are Federal High Court offences that will keep you in jail for your active period,? he said.

Onoja clarified that the marshals and the NSCDC are not responsible for licence allocation or renewal, rather, the squad are statutory enforcement officers.

He however said that there are different types of mining operational license such as: the Exploration licence, Small Scale Mining Lease (SSML) and the Mining licence, adding that, all licences have validity dates.

?Illegal mining is not necessarily the absence of licence, you can have licence and be involved in illegal operations because the earlier mentioned three types of licences have their respective scope.

?For exploration, you are only on a voyage to ascertain what mineral deposit you can get at that site, pick them, analyse in a lab to know the composition and context then check for viability before proceeding to obtain a licence for mining.

?SSML gives you the opportunity to mine but not in commercial quantities as you cannot go seven meters deep but a mining licence allows you to do commercial or industrial mining.

?You can have this three and be operating within their scope but in a different location not assigned to you, that?s illegal mining,? Onoja clarified. (NAN)

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