Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has called for a deeper and more strategic collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals, as growing evidence reveals a troubling nexus between illegal mining, organised crime, and terrorism across Nigeria, West Africa, and the Sahel. The call was made during a high-level strategic visit by a UNODC delegation to the Mining Marshals Corps in Abuja on Monday, August 17, 2026, where the international body praised the specialised unit for its expanding role in tackling illegal mining and related criminal activities, while also introducing a new initiative designed to sever the financial lifelines of terrorist groups.
The UNODC delegation, led by Tullio Santini, Chief of the Africa Section of the Terrorism Prevention Branch, commended the Mining Marshals for their enforcement efforts, citing the rising number of arrests and prosecutions as evidence of Nigeria's commitment to confronting the illegal mining trade. "The rising number of arrests and prosecutions is evidence of Nigeria's commitment to tackling the illicit trade," Santini stated, according to a statement issued by the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Attah. The visit formed part of a broader UNODC mission aimed at strengthening partnerships across Nigeria, engaging development partners and reviewing ongoing field operations.
A central focus of the discussions was the introduction of the UNODC CONNECT Initiative, presented by Robert Haslinger, a law enforcement expert from the Swedish Police. The Coordination through Operational Networks against the Crime-Terrorism Nexus (CONNECT) is a strategic framework designed to enhance cooperation among governments and law enforcement agencies in dismantling the financial and operational links between organised criminal networks and terrorist groups. Nigeria is among the countries invited to participate in the initiative, which is scheduled for launch in November 2026.
Responding on behalf of the NSCDC Commandant-General, Professor Ahmed Audi, Attah welcomed the UNODC delegation and described the organisation as a critical partner in strengthening the operational capabilities of the Mining Marshals. He noted that previous UNODC-supported training programmes had significantly improved collaboration between the Mining Marshals and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), enhancing the ability of both institutions to coordinate investigations and intelligence-led operations against illegal mining syndicates. "The Mining Marshals occupy a unique position within Nigeria's security architecture, working with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the NSCDC. While their primary mandate remains the suppression of illegal mining activities, the officers—drawn from the NSCDC—also support broader national security operations when required," Attah explained.
Attah used the meeting to advocate for the formal inclusion of the Mining Marshals in the CONNECT Initiative, arguing that disrupting the financial foundations of terrorist organisations requires greater attention to the illegal exploitation of mineral resources. He said the growing nexus between illegal mining and terrorism had become increasingly relevant to Nigeria's national security calculations and partly explained the Federal Government's ongoing reforms in the mining sector, where the Mining Marshals have emerged as a key enforcement instrument. The commander also called for expanded capacity-building programmes covering terrorism-related concepts, regional intelligence cooperation and peer-learning opportunities to enhance the unit's ability to tackle evolving threats associated with illicit mining.
UNODC officials commended the institutional structure of the Mining Marshals, describing it as a notable model within Nigeria's law-enforcement ecosystem. They noted that the unit had an unusually broad operational mandate, allowing it to handle illegal mining cases from intelligence gathering and prevention to arrest, investigation and prosecution. The officials also highlighted the unit's use of non-kinetic measures, including stakeholder engagement and community outreach, in addressing illegal mining.
Illegal mining has increasingly attracted security concerns in Nigeria, with authorities warning that proceeds from illicit exploitation of mineral resources can fuel organised criminal activities and insecurity across the region. The UNODC has linked illegal mining in Nigeria to organised crime, terrorism and insecurity across West Africa, underscoring the urgency of the partnership. The meeting concluded with an exchange of publications, a commemorative photograph session and renewed commitments to collaboration in confronting the growing convergence of resource crime and terrorism across the region.
The deepening partnership between the UNODC and the NSCDC Mining Marshals represents a significant step forward in Nigeria's fight against illegal mining and its links to terrorism. With the CONNECT Initiative set to launch in November 2026, the stage is set for a more coordinated and intelligence-driven approach to disrupting the financial networks that sustain both criminal enterprises and terrorist groups. For the Mining Marshals, the challenge now is to translate this strengthened partnership into tangible results on the ground, ensuring that the mineral wealth of Nigeria is no longer a source of funding for those who seek to destabilise the nation.
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