The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has ordered the immediate seal-off of an illegal gold mining site in the Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to mitigate potential environmental hazards.
He warned that the government would not tolerate unlawful mining activities.
The minister advised residents to steer clear of the affected areas while enforcement and remediation efforts are underway.
The order followed intelligence reports of fresh illegal operations on farmland behind CKC in Gwagwalada, where artisanal miners reportedly invaded after the accidental discovery of a gold vein during the digging of a soakaway pit.
The directive, according to a statement by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, came on the heels of an earlier operation by the mine marshals, which led to the successful recovery and sealing of a mining site around the District 2 Extension layout in Gwagwalada on August 16, 2025.
Preliminary investigations revealed that illegal artisanal miners invaded the area after the accidental discovery of a gold vein during the digging of a soakaway pit near a residential property.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
