The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has directed the immediate seal-off of an illegal gold mining site in the Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to prevent potential environmental hazards.
Alake warned that the government would not tolerate unlawful mining activities and urged residents to avoid the affected site while enforcement and remediation measures are being carried out.
The directive followed intelligence reports of fresh illegal operations on farmland behind CKC in Gwagwalada, where artisanal miners allegedly moved in after the accidental discovery of a gold vein during the digging of a soakaway pit.
According to a statement by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, the order comes shortly after mine marshals sealed off another illegal site around the District 2 Extension layout in Gwagwalada on 16 August 2025.
Preliminary investigations revealed that artisanal miners invaded the area once news spread about the gold deposit uncovered during routine construction work near a residential property.
