After the Establishment of the "Mining Marshal", Illegal Mining was Cracked Down on and Government Revenue was Increased

Ata Onoja, director of the Mining Enforcement Agency of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Force, disclosed on Tuesday that within a year of the agency's establishment, the revenue of the mining industry has soared from a mere 6 billion naira to over 38 billion naira.

Onoja said at a media meeting and seminar titled "Combating Illegal Mining: The Role of the Media" organized by the Federal Capital District Council of the Nigerian Journalists' Union that the efforts made by the Mining Enforcement Agency in combating illegal mining activities across the country have significantly increased the revenue of the mining industry.

Onoja urged the media to join the fight against illegal mining, while warning them not to make biased or false reports. He also warned that illegal mining groups were funding what he called "rogue news" to smear law enforcement efforts.

We will not yield to any blackmail aimed at weakening our determination. Law enforcement agencies alone cannot combat illegal mining. Therefore, we call on the media to become partners in this fight. Onoja said.

He disclosed that since the Tinub government was established under the instructions of Solid Minerals Minister Dr. Dele Arak, the Nigerian Enforcement Agency (affiliated with the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Force (NSCDC)) - this department has dismantled illegal camps, prosecuted lawbreakers, and restored order in turbulent mining areas.

Although Onoja acknowledged challenges such as vested interest groups and insufficient logistical support, he insisted that this movement was crucial to the survival of the country.

Our message is clear: Nigeria's mineral wealth belongs to all Nigerians and cannot be plundered by a few. He declared.

In his speech, Ajao Adewale, the police chief of the Federal Capital Region (FCT), disclosed that illegal mining has become a powerful enterprise driven by cartels and funded by Nigerian dignsters, which has fuelled bandit activities and caused the country about 9 billion US dollars (13.7 trillion naira) in losses each year. Advalle said that illegal mining is one of the most dangerous national security threats in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) points out that Nigeria loses up to 9 billion US dollars (13.7 trillion naira) annually due to illegal mining and gold smuggling. Illegal mining is not merely an economic crime; It will also exacerbate security crises, damage the environment, undermine legitimate investment and plunder our country's vital resources.

The report shows that the Nigerian elite are the main drivers of these actions. They merely use foreigners as a cover, while bandits and terrorism obtain funds through this criminal network.

The police chief has designated Zamfarah, Nasalawa, Koji, Kaduna, Niger, Kwara, Osun and parts of the Federal Capital Territory as hotspots, and pointed out that more than 72 suspects were arrested in Abuja for illegal mining activities during the period from 2023 to 2024 alone. He emphasized that without the cooperation of security agencies and the media, these cartels would continue to run rampant.

The global definition of organized crime mining emphasizes that when criminal groups control mining on a large scale, especially in remote and unmonitored areas, their behavior is similar to that of cartels. In Nigeria, these networks may demonstrate coordinated control over land, mining and smuggling. It is reported that the powerful forces in Nigeria are behind illegal mining and have funded the unsafe situation. Solid Minerals Development Minister Dele Arak pointed out that the powerful forces in Nigeria are the main drivers of illegal mining and noted that foreigners are just a front. He pointed out that bandits and terrorism are often funded and promoted by these well-connected individuals rather than by grassroots manual miners.