President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake and his counterpart in the Interior Ministry, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, have been urged to intervene and cause a probe into the circumstances leading to the over one-year closure of a quarry site in Abuja by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The request is contained in a petition by the owner of the business, Stone Rockers Limited (SRL), which claimed that the continued closure of its business premises without justification has exposed its over 70 employees to undue hardship.

In a copy of the petition, submitted on Friday at the Solid Minerals Ministry by its protesting staff, the company alleged that its business premises, located at Plot FL-109 Cadastral Zone, Gaube farm land layout, Barmishi village in Kuje Area Council, were sealed by NSCDC operatives, led by one John Onoja Attah, without an order of court.

SRL’s spokesman, Adeyeye Olugbenga, said during the protest at the Ministry of Solid Minerals in Abuja that the company, fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), has been rendered inoperative for the past 13 months by Mining Marshals, who forcefully shut it down without any justifiable reason.

Olugbenga said the company’s workers, numbering over 70, along with their dependants, have suffered hardship due to the unlawful and arbitrary closure of the company.

He pleaded with President Tinubu, Alake and Tunji-Ojo to immediately order an in-depth investigation into the circumstances that led to the unlawful action by NSCDC operatives.

Olugbenga faulted the allegation of land encroachment raised against the company by the Mining Marshall, arguing that there is no evidence to that effect.

He said the injustice against SRL, its workers, and their dependants has become unbearable, as it constitutes an affront to the rule of law, with the company’s closure effected without lawful authority.

Olugbenga recalled that the Mining Marshal, using the name of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as complainant, once filed a charge against the Managing Director of the company but abandoned it when the court ordered them to produce evidence.

He also disclosed that SRL instituted a civil suit against the NSCDC, challenging the unlawful closure of the company, but that proceedings were unjustly delayed and frustrated by the defendant.

Olugbenga, who later read a statement, said: “We are workers of an indigenous construction company registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), with head office in Abuja; we are into quarrying, sand dredging and real estate.

“We are Holders of Quarry Lease No. 37326 QLS (3 CU) situated at Plot FL-109 Cadastre Zone Gaube Farmland Layout, Barmishi Village, Kuje Area Council Abuja-FCT, by which we are empowered under section 201 (1) (a) and (b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 to carry out quarrying activities within the ambiance of our lease.

“Within one year of our legitimate quarrying operations, the company employed directly and indirectly over 70 Nigerians, created a business economy within our host community in Kuje, did Community Development Services (CDS) and gave scholarships in addition to payment of royalties as and when due”.

“However in July 2025 , one Attah John Onoja, the Mining Mashal Commandant led over 20 fully armed NSCDC staffs and gun truck to our site and took samples of our granite and arrested everyone on site (at least 14 persons) and detained them at a private cell he built at the entrance of NSCDC where he named “Aleke House”.

“The Company wrote several Petitions to the Minister of Solid Minerals seeking clarification on why a legitimate business of an indigenous investor should be unlawfully shut down without any court order, without any statutory powers given to the marshals to do so, and till now (13 months after) no justification had been offered.

“Today we can no longer keep quiet and allow such injustice, affront to the rule of law, unruliness, and unlawful closure of a legitimate multi-billion-naira business to be swept under the carpet.

“We are in full support and commend the fight against the menace of illegal mining and quarrying, but we will never support or keep quiet on the abuse of law, abuse of office, the unlawful practices of the marshals, particularly when no one seems to be calling them to order”.

“We call on the President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and the Minister of Solid Minerals and Steel Development, Dr Dele Aleke to immediately intervene towards the reopening of our legitimate business, order investigation into the unlawful closure and order the prosecution of everyone found wanting.” (The Nation)