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The Federal Government’s Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative (PAGMI) has received renewed momentum following a sweeping crackdown that dislodged thousands of illegal miners from designated mining sites in Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
In a coordinated, multi-agency operation, operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force, reclaimed mining locations that had been illegally occupied for months by unregulated operators.
Officials said the operation led to the complete displacement of thousands of illegal miners who had taken control of PAGMI sites, running large-scale operations that went far beyond artisanal mining.
Heavy-duty excavators, crushers and, in some instances, explosives were deployed indiscriminately, practices that triggered widespread land degradation, water pollution, and heightened insecurity in surrounding communities.
Residents of Yauri described the illegal mining surge as a slow-burning crisis, saying their farmlands were mostly affected.
“Our farmlands were being destroyed, and the river we depend on was turning brown.
We lived in fear because strange faces came in daily, armed and unaccountable,” said a community leader who requested anonymity for security reasons.
Environmental experts familiar with the terrain had warned that such unregulated mining practices often leave behind contaminated soil, unstable pits and polluted waterways, compounding long-term risks to agriculture, public health and livelihoods.
Local sources lamented that abandoned pits had already claimed lives, particularly during the rainy season.
Speaking after the operation, the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Onoja Attah, described PAGMI as a deliberate policy intervention designed to formalise artisanal mining, empower host communities and ensure that mineral resources translate into shared economic benefits rather than chaos.
“PAGMI is about inclusion, structure and sustainability,” Mr Attah said. “Those genuinely interested in mining must register and operate within known legal frameworks. Anything outside that endangers lives, destroys the environment and fuels insecurity.”
He added that beyond enforcement, the initiative prioritises environmental remediation, community participation and continuous monitoring.
According to officials, the NSCDC Mining Marshals have been directed to maintain constant surveillance and routine patrols across the reclaimed sites to prevent reoccupation, while working with relevant agencies to assess environmental damage and support recovery efforts.
The federal government said the Yaur operation is a broader push to sanitise Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, curb revenue leakages and dismantle the informal networks that have long turned artisanal mining zones into hubs of environmental abuse and criminal activity.
Illegal mining: NSCDC, DSS crack down on culprits in Kebbi operation
