Security operatives have arrested 19 suspected illegal miners and recovered a stolen service rifle following a deadly attack on a joint patrol team in Niger State, authorities confirmed on Friday.
The incident occurred on Wednesday in Zuzungi Kataeregi village, where officers conducting a routine patrol around a mining site were ambushed by suspected illegal miners. During the attack, a police officer was killed, another injured, and a patrol vehicle was set on fire.
The spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force command in the state, Wasiu Abiodun, said the team had been monitoring activities around the premises of Millennium Metals Mining Company when the assailants struck.
“The patrol team came under attack by suspected illegal miners while on routine surveillance. Sadly, one officer was lynched, his rifle taken, and another officer sustained injuries,” Abiodun said.
“Reinforcements were immediately deployed, and by the following day, 19 suspects were arrested while the stolen firearm was successfully recovered.”
According to police authorities, the suspects are currently being interrogated at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna, while further investigations continue.
Earlier, the state commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Siyaka Aniviye, condemned the attack, describing it as an assault on national authority and economic stability.
“This was a criminal and barbaric act against officers performing lawful duties to protect Nigeria’s mineral resources,” Aniviye said.
“Mining sites are classified as critical national assets, and illegal mining constitutes economic sabotage under Nigerian law.”
He explained that the patrol team consisted of personnel from the NSCDC, the police, and local security volunteers working with the mining company to curb mineral smuggling and unauthorised extraction.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has vowed to intensify enforcement against illegal mining operations nationwide.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, described the killing of the officer as a serious crime that would not go unpunished.
“The perpetrators of this murder will be tracked down and prosecuted. Government will strengthen efforts to secure mining sites and protect officers safeguarding the nation’s resources,” the minister said.
