An Abuja based Quary company, Stone Rockers limited has petitioned President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
over the continued shutdown of its Abuja business premises by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp, NSCDC.
The business premises was said to have been shutdown by the Civil Defense Corps exactly 13 months ago without lawful order of Court.
In the fresh petition submitted through the Federal Ministry of Soild Minerals Development on Friday, the company alleged that its business premises located at Plot FL-109 Cadastral Zone, Gaube farm land layout, barmishi village, in Kuje, was sealed by Civil defense operatives, led by one John Onoja Attah, without an order of court.
During a protest march at the premises of the Federal Ministry of Solid minerals, the spokesperson for the company Adeyeye Olugbenga claimed that Stone Rockers Company fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission had been unlawfully prohibited from functioning for over one year by the Mining Marshall, without any justifiable reason.
Olugbenga told the media men present at the protest march, that workers of the company numbering over seventy along with their dependants had been subjected to series of hardships, especially hunger, following the unlawful, arbitrary and illegal closure of the company.
He pleaded with President Tinubu, Minister of Solid Mineral Dele Alake and his Interior counterparts, Tunji-Ojo to immediately order an in-depth investigation into the circumstances that led to the unlawful action of the civil defense.
He said that the allegation of land encroachment raised against the company by the Mining Marshall was untenable since there is no evidence to that effect, adding that from all indications, the civil defense was acting the script of another company where he has vested interest.
A new petition submitted on Friday explained that the injustice against Stone Rockers limited, its workers and their dependants have become unbearable as it constitutes an afront to the rule of law, having carried out the closure of the company without lawful authority.
Olugbenga recalled that the Mining Marshall using the name of the Attorney General of the Federation as complainant once filed a charge against the Managing Director of the Company but abandoned the charge, when the court issued an order on him to produce proof of evidence.
He also disclosed that the company on its own, instituted a civil suit against the Civil Defense, challenging the unlawful closure of the company, but that proceedings were unjustly delayed and frustrated, by the civil defense corps.
A statement read on Friday during the protest march by placard carrying workers at the Ministry of Solid Minerals read in part,
“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) abd gave scholarships in addition to payment of royalties as at 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 seem 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”.
Although, the receipt of the fresh petition was acknowledged, however, all efforts by media men to get the reaction of the ministry to the petitions were unsuccessful as a Director who pleaded anonymity said that the ministry’s spokesperson was not on seat and out of Abuja.
