House committee pushes tougher laws, stricter enforcement, and unified action to crush illegal mining rings, stem illicit funds, and safeguard Nigeria’s mineral wealth.
Abuja: The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Mineral Exploitation, Security and Anti-Money Laundering has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, security institutions and stakeholders to curb illegal mining and illicit financial flows across the country.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Sannio Abdulraheem (APC-Kogi), made the call on Monday at a stakeholders’ workshop on Extractive Industry Governance in Abuja.
Abdulraheem said that although Nigeria is richly endowed with strategic minerals such as gold, lithium, tin, coal and tantalite, the country has continued to lose enormous economic benefits to illegal mining activities.
He attributed the challenge to weak enforcement, organised criminal networks and money laundering, which, he said, have undermined the extractive sector and deprived Nigerians of the full value of their mineral resources.
“That gap has a name: illegal mining, weak enforcement and the laundering of proceeds that should belong to the Nigerian people.
“It is a gap filled by criminal networks, revenue leakages and security threats that have turned some mineral-rich communities into dangerous territories,” he said.
The lawmaker urged the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office to provide the committee with licensing and regulatory records to support its ongoing investigations.
He also called on security agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Mining Marshals, to identify operational challenges requiring legislative intervention.
Abdulraheem further appealed to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to intensify efforts to disrupt illicit financial flows linked to illegal mining.
He urged state governments and traditional rulers to strengthen surveillance of mining activities within their communities and promptly provide credible intelligence to relevant authorities.
According to him, the committee remains committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s mineral wealth contributes to sustainable national development rather than enriching criminal networks through unlawful exploitation.
He explained that the committee was established to investigate illegal mineral exploitation, trace illicit financial flows, assess security challenges in mining communities and recommend comprehensive reforms to strengthen regulation of the sector.
Abdulraheem disclosed that several relevant agencies had already appeared before the committee, while summonses had been issued where necessary to obtain critical information.
“We do this not out of confrontation, but out of conviction because oversight without candour achieves nothing.
“Reform without accurate information is guesswork dressed as policy,” he said.
He stressed that tackling illegal mining requires coordinated action involving the Federal Government, state governments, security agencies, financial intelligence institutions, traditional rulers, mining operators and civil society organisations.
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) commended the committee’s efforts to address longstanding governance challenges in the solid minerals sector.
Speaking on behalf of the forum, Head of the NGF Legislative, Peace and Inclusive Security Unit, Hajiya Fatima Usman-Katsina, underscored the need to align policy development with effective legislation.
She said bridging policy and legislative gaps would significantly improve governance, accountability and transparency across the extractive industry.
According to her, the NGF remains committed to protecting the interests of states while supporting reforms aimed at unlocking the sector’s enormous economic potential.
She added that the forum was already collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to promote sustainable growth in the mining sector.
“With effective collaboration among all relevant stakeholders, existing policy gaps can be addressed,” she said.
Also speaking, the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, called for the establishment of a special court to expedite the prosecution of illegal mining offenders.
Represented by the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Mr Attah Onoja, Audi described illegal mining as a major driver of insecurity, organised crime and illicit financial flows.
He disclosed that Mining Marshals had arrested more than 671 suspects since 2024, with 397 already arraigned before competent courts.
According to him, enforcement operations have led to the closure of several illegal mining sites, improved compliance with mining regulations and contributed to a 337 per cent increase in mining revenue.
Audi called for increased funding to procure drones, CCTV surveillance systems, establish a national mining situation room, improve logistics and recruit additional personnel.
He also urged lawmakers to strengthen the legal framework and provide adequate resources to sustain the fight against illegal mining and protect Nigeria’s mineral resources.
