‎Illegal miners kill NSCDC officer, burn patrol vehicle in Niger

MINNA, Nigeria (February 13, 2026) — A joint security patrol team in Niger State was attacked by suspected illegal miners on Wednesday, February 11, resulting in the death of an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the burning of an NSCDC patrol vehicle during an enforcement operation.
‎
‎The incident occurred at Zuzungi village, near Kataeregi in Bosso Local Government Area, where security personnel had been conducting a lawful operation aimed at curbing illegal mining and forestalling the smuggling of solid minerals.
‎
‎The patrol team included officers from the NSCDC, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and local operatives known as Anti-Drugs Control (ADC), working alongside representatives of Millennium Metals Mining Company.
‎
‎According to official accounts, the security operatives intercepted suspects believed to be engaged in unlawful mineral activities when armed illegal miners launched a violent assault on the patrol.
‎
‎ During the clash, the assailants fatally shot the NSCDC officer and set ablaze an operational Hilux patrol vehicle belonging to the Corps.
‎
‎Reacting to the attack, NSCDC Niger State Commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, through the Corps’ Public Relations Officer, condemned the violence as unlawful, criminal and “a blatant challenge to constituted authority and Nigeria’s economic security.”
‎
‎He reiterated that mining sites and solid mineral resources are legally classified as Critical National Assets, and warned that illegal mining amounts to economic sabotage under Nigerian law.
‎
‎In a separate statement, Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dr. Dele Alake vowed that the federal government would not be deterred by the attack.
‎
‎He described the killing as a “criminal murder” and said security agencies have been placed on red alert to track down and prosecute those responsible. Alake added that additional weapons and operational equipment are being procured to strengthen the Mining Marshals, a special enforcement unit drawn from the NSCDC to combat illegal mining nationwide.
‎
‎“The illegal miners responsible for the murder of the gallant officer in active service will be made to face the full wrath of the law,” the minister stated, stressing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on illegal mining.
‎
‎A comprehensive manhunt has been launched to apprehend the perpetrators. Security officials have appealed to members of the public, especially residents near mining areas, to provide credible information that will aid ongoing investigations.
‎
‎