The Senate has moved closer to establishing a specialized security outfit aimed at curbing illegal mining activities and banditry in Nigeria, as it passed for second reading a bill seeking for the creation of the Nigerian Mine Rangers Service (NMRS).
The bill, sponsored by Senator Mohammed Onawo (APC, Nasarawa South), proposes the formation of the NMRS to safeguard mining operations, enforce mining and environmental regulations, and promote sustainable mining practices across the country. In his lead debate, Senator Onawo explained that the service would be responsible for tackling illegal mining, rescuing trapped miners, providing emergency medical care, investigating mining accidents, and ensuring compliance with mining laws.
“The proposed legislation is a bold step toward curbing illegal mining and harnessing Nigeria’s vast mineral resources. It is also essential for diversifying the economy away from a monolithic reliance on oil,” Senator Onawo stated.
Several senators, including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, supported the bill, highlighting the immense economic losses the country faces due to illegal mining. Senator Kalu emphasized that Nigeria loses an estimated $18.9 billion annually to illegal mining, a problem that the proposed NMRS could address. He added that the security outfit would also help combat banditry, which has increasingly become linked to mining activities.
“The Mine Rangers Service will not only curb illegal mining but also combat banditry. One of the recently killed notorious bandits started as a security guard at mining sites and later became a miner, eventually turning to banditry,” Kalu explained.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, praised the bill for addressing key security and regulatory challenges in the mining sector. He expressed confidence that the NMRS would significantly reduce the influence of criminal elements in the sector.
“We need this special security arrangement in the mining sector to ensure proper regulation and to fight illegal mining activities and banditry,” Jibrin said.
The Senate referred the bill to its Committee on Solid Minerals for further legislative input, with a report expected in two weeks.