Suspected illegal miners go berserk, kill security personnel

The attack on the taskforce reportedly occurred on Thursday February 11, 2026 at about 12:30pm.

The patrol vehicle of the team was also set ablaze during the violence.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger state command, has strongly condemned the violent and unprovoked attack carried out by suspected illegal miners on a joint security patrol team.

The State Commandant of NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, who confirmed the incident in Minna, described the attack as criminal, barbaric, and a direct assault on constituted authority and Nigeria’s economic stability.

He explained that the joint patrol team , comprising personnel of the NSCDC, their counterparts Nigerian Police Force (NPF) personnel and local security operatives known as Anti-Drugs Control (ADC), in collaboration with Millennium Metals Mining Company, was on a lawful routine operation aimed at curbing illegal mining activities and preventing the unlawful smuggling of solid minerals from the mining site when the suspected illegal miners violently attacked them.

“While intercepting individuals suspected to be illegally smuggling extracted minerals from the mining area, the security team came under heavy attack by armed illegal miners.

During the incident, the assailants set ablaze one operational Hilux vehicle belonging to the NSCDC security team.

Regrettably, an officer paid the supreme price in the line of duty. His sacrifice in defence of Nigeria’s economic assets and public safety will not be in vain and is deeply mourned”, he said.

Aniviye explained that the operations of the Corps in the mining sector were firmly backed by law, adding that the mining sites and solid mineral resources are classified as Critical National Assets, and that illegal mining constitutes economic sabotage under Nigerian law.

“The NSCDC will not tolerate any act of violence, sabotage, or resistance against security personnel carrying out lawful duties. Any person found engaging in illegal mining, mineral smuggling, or aiding such criminal enterprises will be arrested, thoroughly investigated, and prosecuted to the full extant of the law”, he said.