The Commandant General of the National Unity and Peace Corps (NUPEC) and Nigeria Mines Ranger Services (NMRS), Chinedu Nneji, has urged President Bola Tinubu to assent to the Nigeria Mines Rangers Establishment Bill once it completes its legislative journey, arguing that the initiative is critical to ending illegal mining and resource-driven banditry across the country.
Speaking at a press briefing at the command headquarters in Abuja to commemorate the 2026 UN Internati
onal Day of Peace on Monday, 21 September, Mr. Nneji highlighted the Mines Rangers initiative as a specialized operational framework designed to secure Nigeria’s solid mineral assets, protect mining communities, and plug massive revenue leakages caused by illegal operators.
Mr. Nneji noted that conflict and insecurity from the Niger Delta to the Sahel are fundamentally driven by non-state actors competing to control lucrative liquid and solid mineral deposits. He condoled with the Federal Government over the recent deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State, using the tragedy to underscore the urgent need for formal regulatory enforcement.
The statement coincided with global observances for the 2026 International Day of Peace, celebrated under the theme: “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”
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