Mining Marshals Seek UNODC, Canada Support Against Illegal Mining, Terror Financing
The Mining Marshals Corps (MMC) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has called for stronger collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Canadian authorities to combat illegal mining, illicit financial flows and terrorism financing linked to Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
The appeal was made during a strategic engagement between officials of the UNODC, donor partners from Canada and the NSCDC leadership at the Corps headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, said illegal mining had gone beyond economic sabotage and now constituted a serious national security threat requiring coordinated, intelligence-driven responses.
Onoja commended the ongoing partnership under the project titled, “Strengthening Nigeria’s Response to Criminal and Terrorist Finance related to Minerals,” noting that the collaboration had significantly enhanced the operational and investigative capacity of officers tackling mineral-related crimes nationwide.
According to him, the specialised Mining Marshals Corps was established to secure Nigeria’s mineral resources and enforce mining regulations through a structure that includes field operations, intelligence and surveillance, enforcement and compliance, legal services and community liaison units.
He explained that the Corps’ mandate covers the protection of mineral resources, prevention of illegal mining and prosecution of offenders involved in illicit mineral exploitation.
Onoja disclosed that the Corps’ engagement with the UNODC began in 2025 through training needs assessments and consultations supported by Global Affairs Canada to identify critical areas of cooperation.
He added that the Corps had actively participated in the Technical Working Group coordinated by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), providing operational intelligence and field insights on illegal mining activities.
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The Commander further revealed that 21 officers benefitted from the Foundational Terrorism Financing Investigations Training organised for NSCDC Mining Marshals in November 2025, describing the programme as instrumental in strengthening investigations into organised crime, terrorism financing and supply chain vulnerabilities associated with illegal mining operations.
He stated that specialised units had since been deployed to illegal mining hotspots, particularly in the North-West and North-Central regions, while joint operations with other agencies had led to the dismantling of several illegal mining camps and the arrest of suspects involved in unlawful mineral extraction.
The Corps also intensified intelligence gathering through surveillance operations and community engagement initiatives while supporting prosecution efforts with operational evidence obtained from field activities, Onoja said.
Officials present during the engagement included Tom Parker, who oversees counter-terrorism initiatives and strategic coordination under the UNODC’s security and criminal justice interventions, and Princess Chifiero, responsible for programme implementation and stakeholder coordination in Nigeria.
Also in attendance were Wilma E. Endamne and Nikkolai Valverde-Yetman from Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa.
Speaking during the visit, Endamne commended the commitment and operational efforts of the Mining Marshals Corps in combating illegal mining across the country.
She described the Corps’ determination as encouraging, particularly in efforts aimed at disrupting criminal networks and illicit financial flows connected to the solid minerals sector.
Parker also praised the achievements of the Mining Marshals and reaffirmed the commitment of the UNODC to supporting the Corps’ operations and institutional development within available resources.
The Mining Marshals Corps, however, called for enhanced international support through advanced technical assistance in intelligence analysis and integration of enforcement data into broader financial crime investigations.
The Corps further stressed the need for additional operational support in training, equipment provision and exposure to global best practices, particularly in addressing cross-border smuggling networks and transnational criminal syndicates exploiting Nigeria’s mineral resources.
Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the nation’s mineral wealth, the Corps pledged continued collaboration with the UNODC and Canada to strengthen enforcement mechanisms, intelligence-led operations and coordinated strategies against illegal mining and related criminal financing activities in Nigeria.
By PRNigeria
