The Mining Marshals have defended the continued closure of Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited's quarry in Abuja, stating that the facility is sealed as a crime scene in an active criminal case before the Federal High Court. The response comes after Stone Rockers petitioned President Bola Tinubu and other senior government officials, alleging the 13-month shutdown was unlawful and without a court order.
Quarry Closure Linked to Ongoing Court Prosecution
According to a report by Vanguard, the Commander of the Mining Marshals stated that the closure is not an administrative penalty but a necessary measure because the site is the locus criminis in an ongoing prosecution. Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited and its director, Mr Kolawole Olaiya, are standing trial in Charge No. FHC/ABM/VR/338/2026 for allegedly conducting mining operations within a mineral title area belonging to Lord's Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.
The Commander explained that the case originated from a series of petitions filed by Lord's Career Ventures over more than a year. Those petitions 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 (NSCDC) for investigation and prosecution.
Evidence and Coordinates Confirm Mineral Title Violation
Investigators arrested the defendants at coordinates logged as longitude 7°17'24"E and latitude 8°52'11"N. According to the Mining Marshals, a letter dated January 23, 2026, from the Mining Cadastre Office confirmed that those coordinates fall within Mining Lease No. 000395 ML, which belongs to Lord's Career Ventures.
The Commander rejected the Stone Rockers petition outright, describing it as part of a broader campaign to seek administrative relief while the matter is already before the courts. He alleged that the defendants had previously filed petitions to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) targeting him personally, and described the presidential petition as an extension of those efforts.
Workers May Be Relisted; Agency Denies Financial Motive
Regarding workers who were earlier removed from the charge sheet because they were deemed employees acting under a disclosed principal, the Commander said prosecutors have now been directed to review that decision. He cited the participation of some workers in protests over the closure as a factor prompting the reassessment.
The agency also denied that its enforcement action was financially motivated, saying Lord's Career Ventures provided no logistics or financial support for the operation that led to the arrests.
"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," the Commander said.
Related Enforcement in Niger State
In a related development, Legit.ng earlier reported that the NSCDC Mining Marshals praised the Nigerian Army for its role in arresting and transferring 18 suspected illegal miners to their custody, following a joint enforcement effort in Niger state. Soldiers from the 102 Guard Battalion discovered the suspects operating without authorisation at a mining site in Izom, Gurara local government area, during a routine patrol.
