Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Henry Owen
Prominent writer and public affairs commentator Kelechi Donpido has raised serious allegations about what he describes as a vast, coordinated criminal network behind Nigeria’s growing insecurity and resource looting.
In a strongly worded statement released on Sunday, Donpido claimed that what is unfolding across parts of Northern Nigeria goes far beyond terrorism, describing it instead as “a well-organized, non-state machinery of blood and betrayal.” He alleged that both foreign and local actors are exploiting the country’s mineral wealth while deliberately fueling instability to cover up massive economic crimes.
According to Donpido, “From the mines of Zamfara to the oil creeks of the Niger Delta, the same game is being played — the systematic looting of Nigeria’s wealth under the watch of a compromised deep state establishment.” He accused individuals from several nationalities, including Chinese, Lebanese, Indians, and others, of being part of an entrenched system that smuggles gold, lithium, and crude oil through secret routes, aided by insiders within government institutions.
Donpido alleged that billions of dollars are being siphoned daily through private airstrips, hidden ports, and offshore accounts without reflection in Nigeria’s national earnings. He further asserted that intelligence files in both Nigerian and international agencies, including the United States and Interpol, contain detailed records of these illegal operations, from unregistered aircraft movements to money transfers across multiple jurisdictions.
“The benefactors are not faceless criminals in the shadows,” Donpido wrote. “They are men who dine with ministers, pray with presidents, and fund political campaigns. Their connections run deep, and the system bends to accommodate them.”
Calling the alleged operations “acts of organized treason,” Donpido urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to seek partnership with the United States government under President Donald Trump, along with other global allies, to impose asset freezes, investigate shell companies, and enforce targeted sanctions on individuals linked to the scheme.
He maintained that the Nigerian government has access to key intelligence files and should move beyond rhetoric to concrete action. “The time for empty rhetoric is over,” he said. “The United States has the evidence. The Nigerian government has the files. The international community has the tools — use them. Follow the money. Name them. Prosecute them.”
Analysts say the writer’s allegations, though not independently verified, highlight ongoing concerns about the link between insecurity and illegal mining in the North, as well as oil theft in the South. Experts believe criminal networks and their collaborators continue to exploit governance gaps, enabling resource plundering that deprives the country of billions in revenue each year.
Calls for transparency and international cooperation have grown louder in recent months as evidence of organized illegal mining and oil theft continues to emerge. Several civil society groups have urged both Nigerian authorities and foreign governments to strengthen asset recovery efforts and close financial loopholes that allow stolen wealth to be moved abroad undetected.
Donpido concluded his statement with a call for accountability and moral awakening, insisting that Nigeria must not allow silence or complicity to destroy its future. “The truth must stand, even if it stands alone,” he said.
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