Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has increased his personal security after receiving multiple death threats from individuals and companies whose mining licences were revoked for regulatory noncompliance.
At a pre-event briefing ahead of the 10th Nigeria Mining Week in Abuja, Alake said the threats, including direct text messages, became so serious that he had to triple the number of armed personnel assigned to him.
The Nigeria Mining Week, scheduled for October 13 to 15, 2025, will bring together policymakers, investors, and industry stakeholders under the theme “Nigeria Mining: From Progress to Global Relevance” to assess the sector’s progress.
Alake said enforcing dormant licences and long-ignored mining laws has drawn resistance from powerful interests accustomed to years of impunity.
“In fact, I’ve had to triple my security because of threats from those whose licences were revoked,” he said. “One even sent me a text message directly threatening me.”
He added that some affected companies have resorted to intimidation, media attacks, and blackmail to halt the reforms. “They’ve used every tactic to pressure us to reverse these decisions. But we are battle-hardened and will not retreat,” he said.
Under Alake’s leadership, 3,794 mining titles have been revoked, including 1,263 licences in the last two years. His expanded security detail, however, goes against President Bola Tinubu’s directive limiting ministers to five security personnel and three convoy vehicles as part of federal cost-cutting measures.
The minister said the crackdown targets inactive licence holders to restore transparency and credibility to the sector. “We found operators holding licences for over a decade without paying fees or conducting exploration,” he said. “Enforcing these regulations is essential to stop this impunity.”
Alake also revealed that some companies have threatened international arbitration after failing to comply with local laws. “One firm that hasn’t paid fees for years is now threatening international arbitration. I want to see a court side with a company that violated our laws,” he said.
Describing the threats as “the price of reform,” Alake vowed to continue efforts to sanitize the solid minerals industry. “This is about principle, not personality. We cannot continue doing things the same way and expect different results,” he said.
He added that the ministry is enforcing the “use it or lose it” clause in mining licences, similar to global land ownership rules. “Just as a certificate of occupancy requires development within a set time, mining licences must be used or forfeited,” he explained.