The Zamfara State Police Command says it has arrested 21 people suspected of taking part in illegal mining activities in two parts of the state.
In a statement released on Sunday, 1 February 2026, the command spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, who holds the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the arrests were made during a coordinated operation carried out on Saturday, 31 January 2026.
He explained that the operation involved officers from the command’s Anti Illegal Mining Unit, Tactical Unit, and Bomb Disposal Unit, working alongside personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, Gusau Area Office. Okay News reports that joint patrols like this are increasingly used in mining communities where security concerns and unlawful extraction have been linked.
According to the police, the team moved to areas in Zurmi and Maradun after persistent complaints about illegal mining.
Abubakar said, “On Saturday, 31 January 2026, at about 2:00 pm, a joint operation was conducted to dislodge groups of illegal miners.” He added that the raid targeted Boko Village in Zurmi Local Government Area and Kaya Village in Maradun Local Government Area, where unlawful mining had been repeatedly reported.
He said the operation led to the arrest of 21 suspects, who are now being investigated by the task force unit handling illegal mining cases. The police said further updates would be provided as investigations continue.
Illegal mining has remained a major challenge in Zamfara, a state in northwestern Nigeria that is known for deposits of gold and other minerals. Independent estimates and official concerns have suggested that tens of thousands of people, including some operators linked to licensed firms, may be involved in unregulated gold mining across the state, with the Federal Government reportedly losing ₦ billions in revenue daily because mineral activities are not properly monitored and payments are not fully remitted.
Security sources and community accounts have also linked some mining sites to armed bandit groups, worsening insecurity in rural areas. In several communities, residents have fled after repeated attacks, kidnappings, and threats around locations where gold is found.
Local government areas often mentioned as heavily affected include Maru, Anka, Tsafe, Bukkuyum, Zurmi, Bungudu, Talata Mafara, and Shinkafi, due to the concentration of mineral resources in those areas.
Nigeria’s Federal Government and Zamfara State authorities have, at different times, announced restrictions and bans on mining in the state, but enforcement has remained difficult as illegal miners and armed groups continue to move into the region in search of valuable minerals.
More recently, the Federal Government lifted a mining ban that had lasted for more than five years, saying the decision was meant to revive legitimate economic activity in the state. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the move followed improvements in the security situation.
A statement credited to his media aide, Segun Tomori, said the decision came after a security assessment involving Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Alake said Zamfara’s deposits of gold, lithium, and copper have strong economic potential and argued that reopening the sector would support regulated mining, strengthen intelligence gathering, and help curb illegal activity so the country benefits more from the state’s natural resources.
However, despite the policy shift, reports from affected communities continue to indicate that many illegal mining sites remain under the influence of criminal groups, while residents still face deadly attacks and abductions.
