Mining Marshals Defend Stone Rockers Quarry Shutdown, Say Site Remains Crime Scene

By Harriet Tornguvan 

The Mining Marshals have defended the continued closure of Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited’s quarry in Abuja, describing the facility as an active crime scene in an ongoing criminal case before the Federal High Court.

The clarification followed a petition by Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited to President Bola Tinubu and other senior government officials over the 13-month closure of its operations.

The company had alleged that the shutdown was unlawful and was carried out without a valid court order, prompting public debate and media reports.

However, the Commander of the Mining Marshals said the quarry was not sealed as an administrative sanction but because it allegedly constitutes the locus criminis — the location where the alleged offence occurred — in a criminal matter currently before the court.

According to the Commander, Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited and its director, Mr Kolawole Olaiya, are standing trial  Charge No FHC/ABM/CR/338/2026 over alleged illegal mining activities within a mineral title area belonging to Lord’s Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.

He said the case followed investigations initiated after a series of petitions submitted by the complainant company over a period of more than one year.

The petitions, he explained, were 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 for investigation and possible prosecution.

The Commander disclosed that investigators arrested the defendants at coordinates identified as longitude 7°17'24"E and latitude 8°52'11"N, which the Mining Marshals said fell within Mining Lease No. 000395 ML, belonging to Lord’s Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.

He said the agency's position was supported by a letter dated January 23, 2026, from the Mining Cadastre Office, which reportedly confirmed that the disputed coordinates were within the complainant's licensed mining area.

The Mining Marshals also said evidence expected to be presented before the court includes correspondence allegedly written during the investigation by a member of the defence team, Mohammed Olanrewaju Jibril.

According to the Commander, the letter, dated August 12, 2025, was allegedly written on the instructions of the defendants and contained information relevant to the allegations before the court.

“The issues raised by the defendants are already the subject of judicial proceedings,” the Commander said, cautioning against actions capable of undermining or prejudicing the cases.

He alleged that the defendants were resorting to what he described as “every extrajudicial means” to frustrate the criminal proceedings.

The Commander also dismissed the petition to the President as part of an alleged broader attempt to influence public opinion after previous petitions against him before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

He maintained that the Mining Marshals would remain committed to enforcing the law against operators found to be involved in illegal mining activities.

“No matter the level of blackmail and harassment deployed by illegal mining and erring industry players, the Mining Marshals will not be deterred from ensuring that the full weight of the law is pressed very tightly against everyone who breaks the laws in the Nigerian mining sector,” he said.

The Commander further appealed to media organisations to strengthen their editorial verification processes, particularly when reporting allegations connected to ongoing court proceedings.

On the fate of workers who were initially arrested in connection with the matter, the agency explained that prosecutors had earlier amended the charge to exclude them.

It, however, said subsequent developments, including the reported participation of some workers in protests over the continued closure of the quarry, had prompted a review of their status.

According to the Mining Marshals, prosecutors have been directed to consider relisting affected workers where available evidence establishes a greater level of involvement in the alleged offences.

The agency also rejected allegations that its enforcement actions were influenced by financial inducement, insisting that its decisions were based on evidence gathered during investigations.

The controversy surrounding the Stone Rockers quarry has resulted in competing claims by the parties, with the company maintaining that the prolonged closure of its operations is unlawful, while the Mining Marshals insist that the matter is now before the courts and that the quarry cannot be reopened while it remains central to the criminal proceedings.

The final determination of the allegations and the legal status of the quarry will therefore rest with the court.