Nineteen suspected illegal miners have been arrested and a stolen rifle recovered following an attack on a joint security patrol in Zuzungi Kataeregi village, Niger State.
The arrests came after security operatives were ambushed on Wednesday during a routine patrol around a mining site. In the attack, a police officer was lynched and a patrol vehicle set ablaze.
Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the development to The PUNCH on Friday, stating that a police officer was killed, his rifle taken, and another officer injured.
“Report received on 11/2/2026 indicated that some miscreants/illegal miners attacked a joint security team attached to a company, millennium metals in Zuzungi village Kataeregi, while on a routine patrol around the company business premises. The miscreants attacked the team, burnt the company’s patrol vehicle and unfortunately, a policeman was lynched to death, his firearm taken away and another was injured,” Abiodun said.
He added that the Commissioner of Police immediately deployed reinforcement to the area, leading to the arrest of 19 suspects and recovery of the rifle on February 12. All suspects are under investigation at the SCID in Minna.
NSCDC State Commandant Siyaka Aniviye described the attack as “criminal, barbaric, and a direct assault on constituted authority and Nigeria’s economic stability.” He explained that the joint patrol team, comprising NSCDC, police, and local security operatives, was on a lawful operation to curb illegal mining when they came under heavy attack.
“The assailants set ablaze one operational Hilux vehicle belonging to the NSCDC security team. Regrettably, an officer paid the supreme price in the line of duty. His sacrifice in defence of Nigeria’s economic assets and public safety will not be in vain,” Aniviye stated.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, vowed on Thursday to intensify the crackdown on illegal mining, describing the killing as a “criminal murder” and pledging that those responsible would be prosecuted.
