By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Mining Marshals have defended the continued closure of the Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited quarry site in Abuja, maintaining that the facility remains a crime scene in an ongoing criminal prosecution and therefore cannot be reopened pending the determination of the case before the Federal High Court.
The clarification follows recent petitions by Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other senior government officials over the 13-month closure of its operations. The company had alleged that the shutdown was unlawful and not backed by any court order, claims that have attracted significant media attention.
Responding to the allegations, the Commander of the Mining Marshals stated that the quarry was sealed not as an administrative sanction but because it constitutes the locus criminis—the scene of an alleged crime—in a matter currently before the court.
According to the Commander, Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited and its Director, Mr. Kolawole Olaiya, are standing trial in Charge No. FHC/ABM/VR/338/2026 over allegations of illegal mining activities within a mineral title area lawfully belonging to Lord’s Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.
He explained that the prosecution followed extensive investigations initiated after a series of petitions submitted by the complainant company over a period exceeding one year. The petitions were subsequently referred by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development and the Minister of Interior to the Mining Marshals through the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for investigation and prosecution.
The Commander disclosed that investigators arrested the defendants at coordinates identified as Longitude 7°17’24″E and Latitude 8°52’11″N. According to findings by the Mining Marshals, the location falls within Mining Lease No. 000395 ML, a mineral title held by Lord’s Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.
To support its position, the agency cited a letter dated January 23, 2026, from the Mining Cadastre Office, which reportedly confirmed that the disputed coordinates are situated within the complainant’s licensed mining lease area.
The Mining Marshals further revealed that part of the evidence to be presented before the court includes correspondence allegedly authored by a member of the defence team, Mr. Mohammed Olanrewaju Jibril, during the investigation phase.
According to the Commander, the letter, dated August 12, 2025, and allegedly written on the instructions of the defendants, contains admissions considered relevant to the allegations now before the court.
He maintained that the prosecution’s case extends beyond the disputed coordinates and correspondence, describing the body of documentary and investigative evidence assembled by the agency as substantial and difficult to controvert.
The agency also questioned what it described as attempts by the defendants to seek administrative intervention while both criminal and civil proceedings relating to the dispute remain before competent courts.
“The issues raised by the defendants are already the subject of judicial proceedings,” the Commander said, warning against actions capable of undermining or prejudicing matters currently before the courts.
He further alleged that the defendants had pursued “every extrajudicial means” to frustrate the criminal proceedings and argued that their recent petition to the President did not warrant official intervention while the matter remains sub judice.
According to him, the petition forms part of a broader effort to shape public opinion following what he described as unsuccessful attempts to harass him through petitions submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The Commander emphasized that neither public campaigns nor institutional pressure would deter the Mining Marshals from pursuing the matter to its logical conclusion.
“No matter the level of blackmail and harassment deployed by illegal mining and erring industry players, the Mining Marshals will not be deterred from ensuring that the full weight of the law is brought to bear on anyone found to have violated Nigeria’s mining laws,” he stated.
He also called on media organizations to strengthen editorial gatekeeping processes and ensure that reports are subjected to rigorous verification before publication.
According to him, the media remains a critical stakeholder in the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms of the solid minerals sector and has an important role to play in promoting lawful, responsible and sustainable mining practices.
On the status of workers initially arrested during enforcement operations, the Mining Marshals disclosed that prosecutors had earlier amended the charge to exclude them, on the grounds that they were employees acting on behalf of a disclosed principal and might not possess the criminal intent required for prosecution.
However, the agency noted that recent developments, including the participation of some workers in protests over the closure of the quarry, have prompted a reassessment of that decision.
The Commander disclosed that prosecutors have now been directed to consider relisting the affected workers in the criminal proceedings should further evidence establish a greater degree of involvement in the alleged illegal mining activities.
The Mining Marshals also rejected allegations that their enforcement actions were influenced by financial inducement.
According to the agency, while the complainant company repeatedly expressed concern over losses arising from its inability to commence operations due to the alleged encroachment, it neither provided financial support nor logistical assistance for the operation that led to the arrests.
The Commander stressed that all enforcement decisions were based strictly on evidence obtained during investigations and were not influenced by the financial standing of either party.
Reaffirming the agency’s commitment to combating illegal mining and protecting legitimate mineral title holders, he insisted that no amount of pressure, publicity or alleged blackmail would deter the Mining Marshals from enforcing the law.
The dispute between Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited and Lord’s Career Ventures Nigeria Limited has generated multiple legal proceedings and competing public narratives. While Stone Rockers maintains that the closure of its operations was unlawful, the Mining Marshals insist that the issues in contention are now squarely before the courts and should be resolved through due judicial process.
