Zonal Mining Officer Visits GOC 3 Div, Seeks Stronger Cooperation On Operations and Security

Zonal Mining Officer Visits GOC 3 Div, Seeks Stronger Cooperation On Operations and Security

The Zonal Mines Officer for the North Central Zone of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Engr. Zakari Adamu, paid a courtesy visit to Major General EF Oyinlola, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division and Commander of Operation ENDURING PEACE (COPEP), on 12 November 2025, at the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment in Jos.

The visit was part of Engr. Adamu’s ongoing familiarization and operational evaluation tour of the zone.

In his remarks, Engr. Adamu, who recently assumed office, commended the Nigerian Army for its professionalism and continued support of the Ministry’s activities. He stated that the visit was an opportunity to reinforce the existing partnership between the two organizations.

“The Ministry, while carrying out its mandate on mining activities, will seek the support of the Nigerian Army in terms of security and the enforcement of government policies against illegal mining,” he added.

In his response, Major General Oyinlola reaffirmed the Division’s commitment to supporting the Ministry. He highlighted the interconnected nature of their mandates.

“While our mandates are distinct, they are deeply interconnected,” stated Major General Oyinlola. “The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development is tasked with harnessing our nation’s mineral wealth for economic growth, while the Nigerian Army is charged with ensuring the security and stability that make such economic activities possible. We are, truly, two sides of the same coin of national development.”

He elaborated that the Division’s operational intelligence consistently identifies illegal mining sites as hubs for criminality and flashpoints for violence, often protected by armed groups. Consequently, a key objective of the visit was to establish a robust framework for intelligence sharing.

The GOC assured the Zonal Mining Officer that the Division could provide actionable security intelligence. In return, he requested that the Ministry provide data on legal mining concessions to help distinguish between legitimate operators and illegal ones.

The visit concluded with the presentation of a souvenir to Engr. Adamu, the signing of the visitor’s book, and a group photograph to commemorate the event.