Mining Marshals Defend Abuja Quarry Shutdown Amid Illegal Mining Trial

The Mining Marshals have defended the continued closure of the Stone Rockers quarry site in Abuja, asserting that the facility remains a crime scene in an ongoing criminal prosecution. This clarification comes after Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited petitioned President Bola Tinubu and key government officials over the 13-month shutdown of its operations, alleging the action was unlawful and unsupported by any court order.

Responding to these 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 in a criminal matter currently before the Federal High Court. Stone Rockers and its director, Mr. Kolawole Olaiya, are standing trial over allegations of illegal mining activities within a mineral title area legally belonging to Lord’s Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.

The prosecution followed extensive investigations triggered by a series of petitions submitted by the complainant company over more than a year. Investigators arrested the defendants at coordinates identified as longitude 7°17’24″E and latitude 8°52’11″N, which, according to findings by the Mining Marshals, fall within Mining Lease No. 000395 ML belonging to Lord’s Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.

This case highlights the ongoing efforts by authorities to regulate mining activities and address illegal operations within the sector, ensuring compliance with legal frameworks governing mineral resources.