Security forces in Nigeria apprehended 10 suspects accused of illegal mining in the state of Plateau, according to local reports. The suspects were found to be violating a government decree to suspend all mining operations in the area.

The head of the Plateau Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Ishaku Musa, told the Guardian: "In spite of the state government's suspension of mining activities, these suspects continued with the illegal act."

The arrests come as part of a government crackdown on unlicensed mines operating throughout the West African nation.

Nigeria has vast mineral deposits, but much of that wealth is siphoned away from the public by illicit mining activities. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, told the Premium Times that his government will employ technology to monitor and disrupt illegal mining.

"We are procuring satellite equipment, satellite gadgets that will be installed in strategic places all over the country that would enable us to have a visual effect, real-time of the operations that are ongoing in sites all over the country," he said.

As the Associated Press reported last year, Nigeria's illegal miners are often minors. Children as young as five sift through bags of lithium-rich rock for a pittance. A group of children will receive just 4,000 naira ($2.42) for a full day's work.

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There is never a shortage of buyers for the minerals extracted, especially lithium, which is a critical component in batteries. Nigeria's sky-high poverty rate, as documented here by the World Bank, means that mining is one of the few economic opportunities available to the country's poorest citizens, which makes enforcement especially difficult.

There's also the environmental cost to consider, as even legitimate mining operations exact a hefty ecological toll. Mining is water-intensive, destroys habitats, and emits pollutants that harm the local ecosystem and its residents. While regulations help curb the damage done by mining, according to Earth.org, unlicensed operations obviously don't adhere to any such rules.

While the arrests may signal a turning point in Nigeria's struggle against illegal mining, there's still a great deal of work ahead.

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