The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill seeking to establish the Nigeria Mines Rangers Service — a specialised security outfit designed to combat illegal and artisanal mining activities across the country.
Sponsored by Senator Mohammed Onawo (SDP–Nasarawa), the bill aims to provide a legal framework for safeguarding mining operations, enforcing environmental and safety regulations, and promoting sustainable mining practices in Nigeria’s extractive sector.
According to Onawo, the NMRS will be tasked with responsibilities such as curbing illegal mining, rescuing trapped miners, providing emergency medical response, investigating mining accidents, and ensuring compliance with mining standards.
“The establishment of the Nigeria Mines Rangers Service,” he said, “will help to safeguard mining operations, enforce mining environmental and safety regulations, and promote sustainable mining practices in Nigeria.”
During debate on the bill, several lawmakers described the proposed Mine Rangers Service as a timely initiative that would protect mining communities and secure natural resource sites from the menace of unregulated operators.
The bill, which was earlier considered and reported by the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, chaired by Senator Ekong Samson (Akwa Ibom South), scaled its third reading on Tuesday, marking a major legislative step toward its eventual establishment.
In his closing remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the intent of the bill and called for dedication from those who would eventually serve in the new agency.
“I pray those who will be working there will have patriotism in their mind and work to stop all illegal activities in our mines,” Akpabio said.
The passage of the NMRS bill comes amid growing concerns over the economic losses and security threats posed by illegal mining, which has been linked to environmental degradation, revenue leakage, and violent conflicts in mineral-rich regions.
