The Mining Marshals Corps of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has called for deeper collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Canadian government to combat illegal mining, illicit financial flows and terrorism financing linked to Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.

The appeal was made during a visit by officials of the UNODC and donor partners from Canada to the headquarters of the NSCDC in Abuja, where the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, spoke on behalf of the Commandant General of the Corps, Abubakar Ahmed Audi.

Speaking during the engagement, Onoja said illegal mining had evolved beyond an economic offence into a major national security concern requiring intelligence-driven operations and stronger inter-agency cooperation.

According to him, criminal networks involved in illegal mineral extraction are increasingly linked to illicit financial flows, organised crime and terrorism financing, making the challenge more complex than conventional resource theft.

He expressed appreciation for the ongoing partnership under the project titled, “Strengthening Nigeria’s Response to Criminal and Terrorist Finance related to Minerals,” noting that the collaboration had significantly improved the operational and investigative capacity of personnel combating mineral-related crimes across the country.

Officials present during the meeting included Tom Parker, who oversees counter-terrorism initiatives and strategic coordination under the UN agency’s criminal justice interventions, alongside Princess Chifiero, responsible for programme implementation and stakeholder coordination.

Representatives from Global Affairs Canada, including Wilma E. Endamne and Nikkolai Valverde-Yetman, were also in attendance.

The Mining Marshals explained that the specialised unit operates through multiple structures including field operations teams deployed to mining hotspots, intelligence and surveillance units responsible for gathering actionable intelligence, enforcement and compliance teams supporting arrests, legal units handling prosecutions, and community liaison units engaging host communities to discourage illegal mining activities.

According to Onoja, the core mandate of the Corps includes safeguarding Nigeria’s mineral resources, preventing illegal mining operations and supporting the prosecution of offenders involved in unlawful mineral exploitation.

The Corps disclosed that its engagement with the UNODC began in 2025 through training assessments and consultations supported by Canada to identify areas requiring institutional cooperation and capacity building.

It further revealed that no fewer than 21 officers participated in the Foundational Terrorism Financing Investigations Training organised for NSCDC Mining Marshals in November 2025, describing the programme as critical in strengthening investigations into organised crime and terrorism financing linked to illegal mining operations.

The Corps said specialised units had since been deployed to illegal mining hotspots across the North-West and North-Central regions, while joint enforcement operations with other security agencies had led to the dismantling of several illegal mining camps and the arrest of suspects involved in unlawful mineral extraction.

It added that intelligence gathering had also been intensified through surveillance operations and community engagement initiatives aimed at disrupting illegal mining supply chains and criminal networks.

Speaking during the visit, Endamne reportedly commended the operational efforts of the Mining Marshals, describing the Corps’ commitment to tackling illegal mining as encouraging within the broader context of disrupting criminal financing networks.

Parker also praised the activities of the Corps and reaffirmed the commitment of the UNODC to supporting its operations and institutional development within available resources.

The Mining Marshals, however, urged the UNODC and Canada to provide additional technical assistance in intelligence analysis, enforcement coordination and integration of mining-related investigations into broader financial crime monitoring systems.

The Corps also requested further operational support in training, equipment provision and exposure to international best practices, particularly in tackling cross-border smuggling syndicates and transnational criminal networks exploiting Nigeria’s mineral resources.

Reaffirming its commitment to protecting the nation’s mineral wealth, the Corps pledged continued collaboration with international partners to strengthen intelligence-led enforcement operations and improve accountability within Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.