The Commander of the Mining Marshals, ACC John Attah Onoja, has urged the media to play a more active role in educating the public on the dangers of illegal mining, its consequences, and the importance of responsible mining practices.
ACC Onoja made this appeal during a courtesy visit to the PRNigeria Centre in Abuja, where he acknowledged the media’s role in the successes recorded by the Mining Marshals Special Taskforce in combating illegal mining and protecting communities from its harmful effects.
He highlighted that, with the support of the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, and the Corps Marshal General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abubakar Audi, the taskforce has made several arrests of illegal miners. Many of these cases are currently being prosecuted, and minerals worth millions of naira have been confiscated, preventing illegal operators from profiting from their activities.
During his visit, ACC Onoja also expressed gratitude to PRNigeria for recognizing him and his team with the Security and Emergency Management Award (SAEMA) 2024, an honor he described as a major motivation for their ongoing efforts in securing Nigeria’s mining sector.
In response, the Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, Mr. Yushau Shuaib, commended ACC Onoja for his dedication and commitment to protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources.
Shuaib emphasized that SAEMA’s rigorous selection process identified Onoja as a proactive and visionary officer whose leadership is setting a high standard in the security sector.
