NSCDC CG, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi

In a bold assertion of state authority, the Mining Marshals of the Nigeria’s elite enforcement arm under the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have shut down an illegal lithium mining site in Libata, Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The operation, which violated multiple provisions of the country’s mining laws, has reportedly caused staggering losses to the federal treasury.

At the heart of the scandal is Three Crown Mines Ltd, a company now under intense legal and regulatory scrutiny. Official sources allege that the firm, in partnership with unidentified foreign nationals, illicitly extracted lithium valued at approximately ₦1.43 trillion over a two-year span. This brazen plundering of strategic mineral wealth is particularly alarming as Nigeria seeks to revamp its economy through responsible resource management.

The exact figure of ₦1,431,762,340,450 is not just alarming in size; it highlights a deep structural weakness in Nigeria’s fiscal and regulatory oversight, exposing long-standing exploitation in the mineral extraction sector.

Regulators contend that Three Crown Mines grossly exceeded the scope of its Small Scale Mining License (SSML) and Exploration License. Investigations also revealed that the firm encroached on mining plots legally allocated to other operators, an offense tantamount to theft under the 2007 Minerals and Mining Act and the 2011 Mining Regulations.

The company’s mining activities, conducted far beyond approved limits, are in direct breach of Section 46(2) of the Act and Section 48 of the regulations. The NSCDC confirmed that these actions deprived the federal government of significant revenue and displaced legitimate miners. As a result, the illegally obtained proceeds are liable to forfeiture through a court order.

The site closure followed a joint inspection and evaluation exercise involving mine inspectors, security personnel, and company representatives. The sealing was described as swift, thorough, and irreversible.

However, while the physical operation has been halted, the legal battle is just beginning.

Acting on a directive from the Federal High Court, the Mining Marshals summoned the company’s directors to appear for questioning in Abuja. But on July 21, 2025, the directors failed to show up, claiming “inconvenience” in a letter from their legal counsel, Y.C. Maikyau, SAN. This response was swiftly challenged by the Marshals, who, within two hours, demanded a new date for appearance and warned against any obstruction of justice.

This incident is more than a regulatory violation: it speaks to a larger issue: the Nigerian state’s ongoing struggle to control its mineral resources. The fact that one company, under questionable legal authority, could siphon off such a colossal volume of lithium illustrates how vulnerable the mining sector remains.

Assistant Commandant of Corps John Onoja, who heads the Mining Marshals, issued a strong public statement:

“We will not negotiate the mineral wealth of Nigeria at any roundtable. Mineral theft is not a compoundable offense.”

His remarks came shortly after another enforcement milestone, the Ministry of Solid Minerals imposed a ₦2 billion fine on Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company, following investigations by the Marshals.

A shift in tone and enforcement is clearly underway.

Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and with Dr. Dele Alake at the helm of the Ministry of Solid Minerals, Nigeria appears committed to ending the lawlessness that has long plagued its mining industry. Lithium, a mineral vital to the global energy transition has become central to Nigeria’s economic recovery plan. That it is being looted at industrial scale poses not only a fiscal threat but a national security risk.

NSCDC Commandant-General Prof. Abubakar Ahmed Audi, summed it up:

“Protecting federal revenue through strict law enforcement is fundamental to our national prosperity. Cleaning up the mining sector is not optional; it is imperative.”

Whether this new wave of enforcement will be sustained remains to be seen. But for now, one message rings clear: the era of unchecked mineral theft is drawing to a close.

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