The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, has vowed that the Federal Government will not succumb to blackmail or media attacks in its bid to stamp out illegal mining and insecurity in Nigeria’s mining sector. Alake made the remarks in a video shared Tuesday on X by @TheoAbuAgada, insisting that the pushback is being orchestrated by those profiting from illicit operations.

Speaking at a forum, the Minister said that the real challenges facing the mining industry are external rather than administrative. He revealed that attempts to discredit the newly introduced mine marshals—tasked with combating illegal mining—have included baseless bribery allegations and sponsored media attacks, one of which led to a forced apology from a television station.

Alake reaffirmed his commitment to the sector’s reform agenda, stating that only concrete evidence of wrongdoing would warrant disciplinary action against any member of the mine marshals. “Our hands are on the plough and there’s no looking back… I never buckle under blackmail. No inducement can sway me,” he declared.