EFCC Links Illegal Mining to Insecurity, Vows to Target Financiers

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has linked illegal mining and the theft of mineral resources to rising insecurity and organised crime in Nigeria. EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said criminal networks were exploiting weaknesses in the mining sector to fund other illegal activities, including extortion, smuggling, violence and territorial disputes.

Olukoyede made the remarks while delivering a keynote address at a public lecture and capacity-building workshop organised by the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies in collaboration with the Human and Environmental Development Agenda in Ilorin, Kwara State. He stressed that tackling illegal mining requires more than arresting workers at mining sites, insisting that authorities must dismantle the financial networks supporting the operations.

The EFCC chairman disclosed that the commission recorded 52 illegal mining cases between October 2023 and July 2026 and secured the forfeiture of 102 tonnes of solid minerals. He explained that investigations had exposed networks involving local and international players responsible for financing mining operations, extracting minerals, arranging transportation, facilitating documentation and purchasing illegally obtained resources.

Olukoyede said the commission would focus on tracing financial transactions, recovering criminal proceeds and prosecuting those benefiting from illegal mining. He also warned public officials who abuse their positions to facilitate unlawful operations or launder proceeds from mineral theft that they would be investigated. He called for stronger cooperation among security agencies, mining regulators, customs and financial intelligence institutions to improve information sharing and dismantle criminal networks across the mining sector.