The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, has called for a broader approach to mining security, insisting that protecting mining sites alone is not enough without safeguarding host communities and the environment.

The State Commandant, Adedotun Keshinro, made the call at the eighth edition of the NSCDC Lagos Public Relations Clinic, organised in partnership with Halogen in GRA, Ikeja.

The clinic, held under the theme, “Collaborative Security as a Paradigm for Mining Security,” focused on stronger partnerships, safer communities, sustainable security solutions and enhanced communication.

Keshinro said illegal mining, unregulated operations and insecurity along mining corridors posed serious economic and security threats to Nigeria.

He said mining security should also prevent criminal elements from exploiting illegal mining activities to finance other forms of crime, stressing that the responsibility could not be left to one agency.

“The NSCDC, as regulator, and Halogen and other private guard companies, as operators, are not competitors; we are partners in national security. We must continue to share intelligence, standardise training and enforce compliance,” he said.

According to him, well-trained, properly equipped and regulated private security personnel could serve as a force multiplier for the Corps.

Keshinro said the era of security agencies working in isolation was over, noting that effective mining security must involve community relations, stakeholder engagement and strategic communication.

He said how security agencies communicated risks, managed public perception and built trust with host communities could determine the success or failure of security operations.

He also called for greater use of technology, data and innovation to tackle emerging threats, including the use of sophisticated equipment by illegal miners and vandalism of critical infrastructure.

Speaking at the event, Halogen’s Executive Director, Operations and Services, Bosun Sosanya, said the company regularly transmitted intelligence gathered by its field personnel to the NSCDC.

“We have our foot soldiers on the field and they bring reports to us, which we transmit to the NSCDC as our regulator. Through this, they get the information they need,” Sosanya said.

On intelligence investment, Sosanya said the company was advocating stronger information-gathering mechanisms, adding that it had conducted more than 50 community engagements.

He said the engagements were designed to build trust and encourage residents to provide information that could help security agencies prevent crime and protect mining communities.