- Mining Marshals said the Stone Rockers quarry in Abuja remains sealed because it is the crime scene in an ongoing Federal High Court prosecution
- Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited and its director are facing trial over alleged illegal mining within a licensed area
- The Mining Marshals also revealed that workers earlier dropped from the case may be relisted after some participated in protests over the shutdown
Abuja, FCT – The Mining Marshals have pushed back against claims by Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited that the 13-month closure of its Abuja quarry is unlawful, saying the facility is sealed as a crime scene in an active criminal case before the Federal High Court.
The response came after Stone Rockers petitioned President Bola Tinubu and other senior government officials, alleging that shutting down its operations without a court order was illegal. The petition attracted significant media coverage in recent days.
Photo credit: Mining Marshals
Source: UGC
Why the Quarry Remains Sealed
Vanguard reported that the Commander of the Mining Marshals said the closure was not an administrative penalty but a necessary step because the site is the locus criminis in an ongoing prosecution. He said 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 said the case was triggered by 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 for investigation and prosecution.
According to him, 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 those coordinates fall within Mining Lease No. 000395 ML, which belongs to Lord’s Career Ventures.
Workers May Be Relisted, Petition Dismissed
On 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 Commander also rejected the Stone Rockers petition outright, saying it formed part of a broader campaign to seek administrative relief while the matter was 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.
“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.
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.
Niger Mining: Army Hands 18 Suspects, Exhibits to NSCDC
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (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.
Source: Legit.ng