Illegal mining now major security threat, says NSCDC

Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, with officials of the UNODC and donor partners from Canada. Photo: NSCDC

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has warned that illegal mining has evolved into a major national security threat, calling for stronger international collaboration to tackle the menace across the country.

The Commander of the Mining Marshals Corps, Attah Onoja, made the declaration on Friday in Abuja during a visit by officials of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and donor partners from Canada to the NSCDC headquarters.

Speaking on behalf of the Commandant General of the Corps, Ahmed Audi, Onoja said illegal mining had gone beyond an economic offence and now posed serious security challenges requiring coordinated and intelligence-driven responses.

“Illegal mining is no longer just an economic crime. It has grown into a major national security threat that requires intelligence-driven and coordinated enforcement,” he said.