The Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has decried the rising cases of illegal mining across the country, warning perpetrators to desist from acts capable of bringing them regret.
Speaking during a visit by officials of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and donor partners from Canada to the NSCDC headquarters on Friday, the commander of the Mining Marshals Corps, Attah Onoja, who represented the Commandant-General, said illegal mining had gone beyond an economic offence and now posed serious security challenges requiring coordinated and intelligence-driven responses.
“Illegal mining is no longer just an economic crime. It has grown into a major national security threat that requires intelligence-driven and coordinated enforcement,” he said.
He commended the UNODC and the Canadian government for supporting the project titled, “Strengthening Nigeria’s Response to Criminal and Terrorist Finance related to Minerals.”
According to him, the partnership has strengthened the operational and investigative capacity of officers combating mineral-related crimes across the country.
Onoja explained that the Mining Marshals Corps was established to protect Nigeria’s mineral resources and enforce mining laws through specialised units responsible for intelligence gathering, field operations, legal services, enforcement and community engagement.
“Our mandate includes protecting the nation’s mineral resources, preventing illegal mining and prosecuting offenders involved in illegal mineral exploitation,” he stated.
He disclosed that collaboration between the NSCDC and UNODC began in 2025 through training programmes and consultations supported by Global Affairs Canada.
He further revealed that 21 officers participated in a terrorism financing investigations training organised in November 2025, describing it as critical to improving investigations into organised crime, terrorism financing and illegal mining activities.
Onoja said specialised units had since been deployed to illegal mining hotspots across the North-West and North-Central regions, adding that joint operations with relevant agencies had led to the dismantling of several illegal mining camps and the arrest of suspects.
