NIGERIA: Compromised Officials Biggest Obstacle To Fighting Illegal Mining, NSCDC Mining Marshal Commander Says

By Onoja Baba

The Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) John Onoja Attah, has alleged that compromised officials within government institutions are frustrating the Federal Government’s efforts to combat illegal mining in Nigeria.

Attah made the assertion in a post shared on his Facebook account, where he said the greatest challenge in tackling illegal mining was not the activities of illegal miners themselves but individuals within government agencies working against ongoing reforms.

“The major challenge in fighting illegal mining in Nigeria is not the illegal miners themselves, but compromised individuals in Government institutions/agencies desperately determined to frustrate Federal Government reform efforts,” he wrote.

He alleged that propaganda and blackmail had become tools used by such individuals to undermine efforts aimed at sanitising the nation’s mining sector.

“Propaganda and blackmail have been their stock in trade for personal gains,” he added.

Despite the challenges, the Mining Marshals commander vowed that his team would remain committed to the anti-illegal mining campaign.

“We will remain resolute as long as we have the opportunity,” Attah stated.

Attah heads the NSCDC Mining Marshals, a specialised unit established by the Federal Government to curb illegal mining, protect Nigeria’s mineral resources and support enforcement efforts in the solid minerals sector. Under his leadership, the unit has intensified intelligence gathering, compliance monitoring and enforcement operations against illegal mining activities across the country.

The Federal Government has repeatedly identified illegal mining as a major threat to Nigeria’s economy and national security, with authorities stepping up enforcement measures to protect the country’s solid mineral resources.