The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has called for stronger cooperation with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals as concerns grow over the links between illegal mining, organised crime and terrorism in Nigeria and the wider West African and Sahel regions.
The UNODC made the call during a strategic visit by its delegation to the Mining Marshals Corps, where it commended the specialised unit for its growing role in tackling illegal mining and other criminal activities linked to the illicit exploitation of mineral resources.
The Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Attah, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.
The UNODC delegation was led by the Chief of the Africa Section of its Terrorism Prevention Branch, Tullio Santini, who praised the efforts of the Mining Marshals in enforcing laws against illegal mining.
Santini said the increasing number of arrests and prosecutions showed Nigeria’s commitment to confronting the illegal trade in mineral resources.
“The rising number of arrests and prosecutions is evidence of Nigeria’s commitment to tackling the illicit trade,” he said.
The visit was part of a wider UNODC mission to strengthen its partnership with Nigerian authorities, engage development partners and review ongoing operations in the country.
A major focus of the meeting was the introduction of the Coordination through Operational Networks against the Crime-Terrorism Nexus initiative, known as the CONNECT Initiative.
The initiative was presented by Robert Haslinger, a law enforcement expert from the Swedish Police.
The CONNECT Initiative is aimed at improving cooperation between governments and law enforcement agencies in identifying and disrupting the financial and operational links between organised criminal groups and terrorist organisations.
Nigeria is among the countries invited to participate in the initiative, which is expected to be launched in November 2026.
The development is considered important to Nigeria because of growing concerns that criminal networks operating in the mining sector could provide money and other support to violent groups.
Illegal mining has become a major security and economic concern in several parts of the country. Apart from depriving the government of revenue from the exploitation of mineral resources, illegal mining has been linked by authorities and security experts to other forms of organised crime.
In some areas, illegal miners operate outside government regulation, while criminal groups may control mining sites, provide protection for illegal operators or benefit from the proceeds of mineral exploitation.
The concern is that money generated from such activities can be used to support other criminal operations, including arms trafficking, kidnapping and terrorism.
Responding to the UNODC delegation, Attah, who represented the NSCDC Commandant-General, Prof Ahmed Audi, welcomed the partnership and described the UN agency as an important partner in improving the operational capacity of the Mining Marshals.
He said previous UNODC-supported training programmes had improved cooperation between the Mining Marshals and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.
According to him, the training had strengthened the ability of the two institutions to share information, coordinate investigations and conduct intelligence-led operations against illegal mining syndicates.
Attah said the cooperation was particularly important because following the money trail was critical to dismantling organised criminal networks.
He explained that the Mining Marshals occupied a unique position in Nigeria’s security structure, operating under the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the NSCDC.
He said their main responsibility was to suppress illegal mining activities, but officers drawn from the NSCDC could also be deployed to support other national security operations when necessary.
Attah called for the formal inclusion of the Mining Marshals in the CONNECT Initiative.
He said greater attention should be paid to the illegal exploitation of mineral resources as part of efforts to weaken the financial base of terrorist organisations.
“We also use this opportunity to advocate for the formal inclusion of the Mining Marshals in the CONNECT Initiative because disrupting the financial foundations of terrorist organisations requires greater attention to the illegal exploitation of mineral resources,” he said.
The commander said the relationship between illegal mining and terrorism was becoming increasingly important in Nigeria’s national security planning.
He explained that the growing concern partly informed the Federal Government’s efforts to reform the mining sector and strengthen enforcement against illegal exploitation of the country’s mineral resources.
The Mining Marshals have emerged as one of the key enforcement units involved in the Federal Government’s campaign against illegal mining.
The unit has been tasked with helping to protect mining sites, arrest illegal operators and support investigations and prosecution of offenders.
However, Attah said the changing nature of the threat required more specialised training and stronger cooperation with security agencies within and outside Nigeria.
He called for expanded capacity-building programmes for Mining Marshals, particularly in areas such as terrorism-related concepts, regional intelligence cooperation and peer learning.
According to him, officers need a better understanding of how criminal groups operate across borders and how illicit financial flows are moved between countries.
This, he said, would enable the Mining Marshals to respond more effectively to threats connected to illegal mining and organised crime.
The UNODC officials also praised the structure of the Mining Marshals, describing it as a notable model within Nigeria’s law enforcement system.
They noted that the unit had a broad operational mandate covering several stages of law enforcement, including intelligence gathering, prevention, arrest, investigation and prosecution.
The officials also highlighted the use of non-kinetic measures by the Mining Marshals in dealing with illegal mining.
These measures include engagement with stakeholders, community outreach and efforts to educate residents about the dangers and consequences of illegal mining.
Such approaches are considered important because illegal mining often takes place in rural communities where residents may depend on mining activities for their livelihoods.
The involvement of local communities can therefore help security agencies identify illegal operations and prevent criminal networks from establishing deeper roots.
The partnership between the UNODC and the Mining Marshals also comes at a time when Nigeria is seeking to strengthen its fight against terrorism and organised crime through improved intelligence sharing and financial investigations.
Security agencies have increasingly focused on tracing the sources of funding for terrorist and criminal groups, rather than relying only on arrests and military operations.
For Nigeria, the mineral sector presents both an economic opportunity and a security challenge. The country has deposits of gold, tin, columbite, lithium and other minerals, many of which are found in areas affected by insecurity.
The government has been seeking to formalise mining activities, improve regulation and increase revenue from the sector.
However, illegal mining remains a major challenge, particularly in remote areas where monitoring and enforcement can be difficult.
The latest engagement between the UNODC and the NSCDC therefore signals a move towards closer cooperation between international and Nigerian law enforcement agencies in addressing the problem.
With Nigeria expected to participate in the CONNECT Initiative when it is launched in November, the Mining Marshals are seeking a formal role in the programme.
The proposed partnership is expected to strengthen the exchange of intelligence, improve investigations and help authorities identify financial networks connecting illegal mining to organised crime and terrorism.