Niger deaths: Mining official accuses suspended NSCDC commandant, commissioner of illegal operations
The North Central Zonal Coordinator of the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office, Engr. Henry Temidayo Bolawale, has accused the suspended Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and the state Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Mohammed Qasim Danjuma, of allegedly conducting unauthorised operations at mining sites.
Bolawale made the allegations while testifying before the nine-member Commission of Inquiry investigating the deaths of suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody in Niger State.
He alleged that the NSCDC Mining Marshals continued to arrest miners and seize mineral resources despite a directive by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, for the unit to withdraw from mining-site enforcement operations.
According to Bolawale, the minister had repeatedly directed the NSCDC Commandant-General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to withdraw the Mining Marshals from such operations, insisting that the unit was only authorised to operate through the corps' national headquarters.
He told the commission, chaired by Justice Mohammed Mohammed, that the suspended commandant and the head of the Mining Marshals in Niger State had continued operating at mining locations without notifying or involving his office.
Bolawale said that upon assuming duty in Niger State, he paid courtesy visits to security agencies, including the state NSCDC command, to seek their cooperation in tackling illegal mining and sanitising mining activities.
He also said he met with the state Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Mohammed Qasim Danjuma, to seek the ministry's support in regulating mining activities and curbing illegal operations.
However, he accused the commissioner and the Mining Marshals of carrying out arrests and seizing gold and other mineral resources without accounting for the recovered materials to the appropriate authorities.
The coordinator cited the arrest of a Chinese national, whom he said possessed a valid mining licence, as an example of what he described as unlawful enforcement.
He alleged that officials of the state ministry seized minerals extracted by the Chinese national, an incident that reportedly prompted a correspondence from the minister's office in Abuja.
“I met the commissioner to inform him that the arrest of the Chinese national was illegal, but he refused to listen,” Bolawale told the commission.
He further alleged that Danjuma continued working with the Mining Marshals despite being aware of the regulatory responsibilities of the Mining Cadastral Office.
Bolawale specifically mentioned mining locations around M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto, alleging that enforcement operations were conducted in those locations without his office being notified or involved.
He maintained that the Mining Cadastral Office was responsible for regulating mineral titles and related activities within its jurisdiction, adding that his office had received several complaints about the Mining Marshals' activities at mining sites.
The coordinator further told the commission that, under the arrangement he described, the Mining Marshals were expected to operate through the NSCDC national headquarters under the supervision of its head, Assistant Commandant-General Onoja.
His testimony raises questions about the coordination of mining enforcement activities among federal regulatory authorities, security agencies and the Niger State Government.
The commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody, alongside issues relating to mining-site enforcement and the conduct of security personnel in the state.
However, the allegations against Aniviye and Danjuma have yet to be independently established.
Niger deaths: Mining official accuses suspended NSCDC commandant, commissioner of illegal operations