United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has linked illegal mining in Nigeria to organised crime, terrorism and insecurity across West Africa.

This was disclosed in a statement yesterday after the Chief of the Africa Section of the Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB) at UNODC, Tullio Santini, led a delegation to meet with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals.

According to Santini, the NSCDC Mining Marshals’ enforcement unit is critical to combating illegal mining in the country.

The major discussion centred on the UNODC Crime-Terrorism Nexus Initiative, led by Mr Robert Haslinger, a law enforcement expert from the Swedish Police.

UNODC said the strategic framework was designed to enhance cooperation among governments and law enforcement agencies in dismantling the financial and operational links between organised criminal networks and terrorist groups.

Commenting on behalf of the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, Commander John Onoja Attah, said the UNODC was critical to the fight against illegal mining in Nigeria.

He noted that previous UNODC-supported training programmes had significantly improved collaboration between the Mining Marshals and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU.

The visit formed part of a broader UNODC mission aimed at strengthening partnerships across Nigeria, engaging development partners and reviewing ongoing field operations.

Central to the discussions was the introduction of the UNODC CONNECT Initiative by Mr Robert Haslinger, a Law Enforcement Expert from the Swedish Police.

Responding on behalf of the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) John Onoja Attah, welcomed the UNODC delegation and described the organisation as a critical partner in strengthening the unit’s operational capabilities.