The Mining Marshals have defended the continued closure of the Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited quarry in Abuja, maintaining that the site remains central to an ongoing criminal prosecution before the Federal High Court and cannot be reopened while the case is pending.
Desk: Mining & Solid Minerals
Date: August 30, 2026
Time: 18:43 WAT
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
The position follows a recent petition by Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other senior government officials, in which the company challenged the continued shutdown of its operations and alleged that the closure had persisted for about 13 months without a supporting court order.
Responding to the claims, the Commander of the Mining Marshals said the closure was not imposed as an administrative sanction but was linked directly to the status of the quarry as the alleged scene of offences being prosecuted in court.
According to the Commander, Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited and its director, Mr Kolawole Olaiya, are defendants in Charge No. FHC/ABM/VR/338/2026, arising from allegations of illegal mining within a mineral title area said to belong to Lord's Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.
The Commander explained that the prosecution followed investigations initiated after several petitions by the complainant company over a period exceeding one year. The petitions were subsequently referred to the Mining Marshals by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development and the Minister of Interior through the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
He said the defendants were arrested at coordinates identified as longitude 7°17'24"E and latitude 8°52'11"N, which investigators determined fell within Mining Lease No. 000395 ML attributed to Lord's Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.
The Mining Marshals cited a January 23, 2026 letter from the Mining Cadastre Office as supporting documentation, saying the correspondence confirmed that the disputed coordinates were located within the complainant's licensed mining area.
The Commander further disclosed that documentary materials gathered during the investigation form part of the evidence expected to be presented before the court.
Among the documents referenced by the agency is correspondence dated August 12, 2025, allegedly written by Mohammed Olanrewaju Jibril, a member of the defendants' legal team, on their instructions during the investigation.
The Mining Marshals maintained that the prosecution is supported by evidence extending beyond the disputed coordinates and correspondence, describing the body of documentary material assembled during the investigation as substantial.
The agency also questioned attempts to secure administrative intervention while related criminal and civil proceedings remain before the courts.
The Commander argued that the issues raised by the defendants are matters for judicial determination and cautioned against actions capable of interfering with or prejudicing the ongoing proceedings.
He further alleged that attempts had been made to pursue extrajudicial avenues to frustrate the prosecution, including what he described as petitions against him to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The Commander insisted that such pressure would not alter the agency's enforcement responsibilities.
The agency also addressed the status of workers who were initially arrested during the enforcement operation.
According to the Mining Marshals, prosecutors had previously amended the charge to exclude the workers on the basis that they were employees acting for a disclosed principal and might not have possessed the criminal intent necessary for prosecution.
The Commander said that position was now being reviewed following subsequent developments, including the participation of some of the workers in protests concerning the continued closure of the quarry.
He disclosed that prosecutors had been directed to consider relisting the affected workers if available evidence establishes a greater degree of involvement in the alleged illegal mining activities.
The Mining Marshals also rejected allegations that financial inducement influenced the enforcement action.
The Commander said the complainant company had repeatedly reported financial losses resulting from its inability to commence operations because of the alleged encroachment, but maintained that it provided neither financial support nor logistics to the Mining Marshals for the operation that resulted in the arrests.
He stressed that enforcement decisions were based on evidence obtained during the investigation rather than the financial position or influence of either party.
The Commander appealed to media organisations to strengthen editorial verification and gatekeeping, particularly when reporting competing claims surrounding disputed mining operations.
He said the media remains an important stakeholder in the Federal Government's reforms in the solid minerals sector and has a role in promoting lawful, responsible and transparent mining practices.
The Mining Marshals reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing Nigeria's mining laws and protecting legitimate mineral title holders, maintaining that the Stone Rockers facility will remain subject to the legal process governing the ongoing case.
The dispute between Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited and Lord's Career Ventures Nigeria Limited remains before the courts, with Stone Rockers challenging the legality of the prolonged closure while the Mining Marshals maintain that the site's continued closure is connected to the criminal proceedings and the evidence under consideration by the court.
🏷️ Tags: Nigeria Mining, Mining Marshals, Solid Minerals, Illegal Mining, Federal High Court, Zig Press Release
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