The Mining Marshals have defended the continued closure of the Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited quarry in Abuja, insisting that the facility remains a crime scene in an ongoing criminal case before the Federal High Court.
The clarification follows a petition by Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited to President Bola Tinubu and other government officials over the 13-month shutdown of its operations. The company had alleged that its closure was unlawful and not backed by any court order.
However, the Commander of the Mining Marshals said the quarry was not sealed as an administrative sanction but because it constitutes the locus criminis in a criminal matter currently before the court.
According to the Commander, Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited and its director, Kolawole Olaiya, are facing trial in Charge No. FHC/ABM/VR/338/2026 over alleged illegal mining activities within a mineral title reportedly belonging to Lord's Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.
He explained that the prosecution followed extensive investigations launched after several petitions were submitted by the complainant company over more than a year.
The petitions, he said, were 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 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.
He said investigations established that the coordinates fall within Mining Lease No. 000395 ML, which belongs to Lord's Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.
The Mining Marshals cited a letter dated January 23, 2026, from the Mining Cadastre Office as further evidence, saying the document confirmed that the disputed coordinates were located within the complainant's licensed mining area.
The agency also said its evidence before the court would include correspondence allegedly written by a member of the defence team, Mohammed Olanrewaju Jibril, during the investigation.
According to the Commander, the August 12, 2025 letter, allegedly written on the instructions of the defendants, contains admissions that are relevant to the allegations before the court.
He maintained that the prosecution's case goes beyond the disputed coordinates and the correspondence, noting that investigators had assembled substantial documentary evidence in support of the allegations.
The Mining Marshals also questioned attempts by the defendants to seek administrative intervention while criminal and civil proceedings concerning the dispute are still pending before the courts.
"The issues raised by the defendants are already the subject of judicial proceedings," the Commander said, warning against actions that could undermine or prejudice the cases.
He further accused the defendants of employing what he described as "every extrajudicial means" to frustrate the criminal proceedings, arguing that their petition to the President did not warrant official consideration.
The Commander also alleged that the petition was part of a wider attempt to influence public opinion following what he described as unsuccessful efforts to harass him through petitions to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
He insisted that public campaigns or institutional pressure would not stop the Mining Marshals from pursuing the case.
"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 pressed very tightly against everyone who breaks the laws in the Nigerian mining sector," he said.
The Commander urged media organisations to strengthen their editorial verification processes, particularly when reporting claims concerning ongoing legal disputes.
He said the media remained an important stakeholder in the Federal Government's reforms of the solid minerals sector and had a responsibility to promote lawful and responsible mining practices.
Workers' Prosecution Reviewed
On workers who were initially arrested during the enforcement operation, the Mining Marshals said prosecutors had earlier amended the charge to remove them from the case.
The agency explained that the workers were considered employees acting on behalf of a disclosed principal and might therefore lack the criminal intent required for prosecution.
However, the Mining Marshals said the decision was now under review following recent developments, including the participation of some of the workers in protests over the continued closure of the quarry.
The Commander disclosed that prosecutors had been directed to consider relisting the affected workers if further evidence establishes that they played a greater role in the alleged illegal mining activities.
The agency also rejected allegations that the enforcement operation was influenced by financial inducement.
According to the Commander, although the complainant company had repeatedly reported financial losses resulting from its inability to commence operations due to the alleged encroachment, it did not provide financial assistance or logistics to the Mining Marshals for the operation that led to the arrests.
He stressed that enforcement decisions were based solely on evidence obtained during the investigation and were not influenced by the financial position of either party.
The Mining Marshals reaffirmed their commitment to combating illegal mining and protecting legitimate mineral title holders, insisting that publicity, pressure or alleged blackmail would not deter them from enforcing Nigeria's mining laws.
The dispute between Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited and Lord's Career Ventures Nigeria Limited has resulted in multiple legal proceedings and competing claims, with Stone Rockers maintaining that its shutdown was unlawful while the Mining Marshals insist that the matter is now before the courts for determination.
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