ABUJA, NIGERIA — The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) are strengthening collaboration to combat illegal mining, illicit financial flows and terrorism financing linked to Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
The partnership was discussed during a visit by UNODC officials and Canadian donor representatives to the NSCDC headquarters in Abuja, where the Mining Marshals called for deeper cooperation to address criminal activities associated with illegal mining and the movement of illicit funds.
The engagement comes amid growing concern over the relationship between illegal exploitation of natural resources, organised crime and terrorism financing in parts of Africa. The United Nations has identified illegal mining of gold and other precious minerals as an increasingly significant source of funding for terrorist groups and criminal organisations.
The NSCDC Mining Marshals have been at the forefront of efforts to tackle illegal mining and other forms of economic sabotage affecting the country’s solid minerals sector.
During the Abuja engagement, Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, who represented NSCDC Commandant General Abubakar Ahmed Audi, highlighted the need for stronger partnerships with international organisations and development partners.
The collaboration is expected to improve the ability of Nigerian authorities to identify criminal networks operating around illegal mining activities, trace illicit financial flows and strengthen investigations into suspected links between resource-related crimes and terrorism financing.
The issue has become increasingly important as criminal and terrorist groups exploit informal economies and natural resources to generate funds. A recent United Nations assessment warned that links between terrorism financing and organised crime, including illegal mining, remain insufficiently analysed in many African countries.
The UN has also stressed the importance of stronger law-enforcement coordination, financial intelligence, cross-border cooperation and oversight of vulnerable sectors such as extractive industries in tackling terrorism financing.
For Nigeria, the challenge extends beyond the environmental damage caused by illegal mining. Unregulated mining can facilitate criminal networks, weaken government control over mineral-rich communities and create opportunities for proceeds from illicit activities to enter wider financial systems.
The UNODC’s current programme for Nigeria similarly identifies illegal mining as one of the illicit activities that can contribute to the financing of terrorist operations, alongside kidnapping for ransom, cattle rustling and illicit taxation.
The NSCDC, whose statutory responsibilities include crime prevention, intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies and international partners, has continued to expand its role in protecting Nigeria’s critical assets and combating economic crimes.
The Corps said it had arrested more than 2,677 suspects for offences including illegal mining, vandalism, kidnapping and other forms of economic sabotage over a five-year period, underscoring the scale of its enforcement activities.
The latest partnership is therefore expected to strengthen existing enforcement measures while providing additional technical support and international coordination.
Beyond arrests and prosecutions, authorities are expected to focus on disrupting the financial networks that make illegal mining profitable and identifying individuals or organisations that may benefit from proceeds generated through unlawful exploitation of mineral resources.
The initiative also aligns with broader international efforts to address the growing convergence between organised crime and terrorism. The UN has noted that terrorist groups and criminal organisations can cooperate or coexist, exploiting similar illicit markets and financial channels to sustain their operations.
As Nigeria seeks to develop its solid minerals industry and attract legitimate investment, authorities face increasing pressure to protect the sector from criminal exploitation.
The strengthened UNODC-NSCDC partnership could therefore play a significant role in improving intelligence sharing, financial investigations and enforcement against illegal mining networks.
For the Nigerian authorities, the objective extends beyond stopping illegal extraction. It is also about preventing the proceeds of criminal mining activities from reaching organised criminal groups or financing terrorism, while protecting the country’s natural resources and strengthening national security.
