Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake has inaugurated the first batch of Mining Marshals Corps to combat illegal mining.
The presentation of the mining marshals took place in Abuja on Thursday.
Alake said the mining marshals were drawn from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
He said NSCDC, being a nationwide paramilitary organisation, would deploy units across the country to work with the federal mines officers in the states and local governments to combat illegal mining in all forms
According to the minister: “On assumption of office, we announced the seven-point agenda as the strategy to position the solid minerals sector for domestic growth and international competitiveness.
“A crucial component of the agenda is the transformation of the security architecture to combine ground troops with innovative technology.
“To demonstrate the priority this administration places on security, the president set up an inter-ministerial committee on the protection of natural resources, which I chaired.
“The protection of the mines, the forests, and the coastal shores of the country were critical components of our brief. One of the outcomes of our strategy is what we are witnessing today: the presentation of the mining marshals to engage illegal miners.”