The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has urged stronger cooperation with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals as illegal mining continues to raise security concerns across Nigeria, West Africa and the Sahel.
The UN agency made the call during a strategic engagement with the Mining Marshals, where its delegation commended the specialised unit for its efforts to curb illegal mining and associated criminal activities.
The Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Attah, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.
The UNODC delegation was led by Tullio Santini, Chief of the Africa Section of the Terrorism Prevention Branch, who praised the corps for its enforcement activities.
“The rising number of arrests and prosecutions is evidence of Nigeria’s commitment to tackling the illicit trade,” Santini said.
The engagement formed part of a wider UNODC mission aimed at deepening partnerships in Nigeria, engaging development partners and assessing ongoing operations in the field.
A key feature of the meeting was a presentation on the UNODC Coordination through Operational Networks against the Crime-Terrorism Nexus, known as the CONNECT Initiative.
The initiative was presented by Robert Haslinger, a law enforcement expert with the Swedish Police.
CONNECT seeks to improve collaboration between governments and law enforcement bodies in tackling the financial and operational connections between organised crime groups and terrorist organisations.
Nigeria is among the countries invited to participate in the initiative, which is expected to be formally launched in November 2026.
Attah, who represented the NSCDC Commandant-General, Prof Ahmed Audi, described UNODC as an important partner in building the operational capacity of the Mining Marshals.
He said previous UNODC-backed training programmes had strengthened cooperation between the Mining Marshals and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, particularly in intelligence sharing and investigations targeting illegal mining networks.
“The Mining Marshals occupy a unique position within Nigeria’s security architecture, reporting to 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.
“We also use this opportunity to advocate for the formal inclusion of the Mining Marshals in the CONNECT Initiative because disrupting the financial foundations of terrorist organisations requires greater attention to the illegal exploitation of mineral resources.”
Attah said the increasing connection between illegal mining and terrorism had become an important consideration in Nigeria’s national security strategy.
According to him, the development has also contributed to the Federal Government’s efforts to reform the mining industry, with the Mining Marshals playing a central role in enforcing regulations and confronting illegal exploitation.
He called for more specialised training for the unit, particularly in terrorism-related issues, regional intelligence sharing and peer-learning programmes.
Such initiatives, he said, would equip the Marshals to respond more effectively to emerging threats linked to illegal mining.
The UNODC delegation also praised the structure and operational reach of the Mining Marshals, describing the unit as a distinctive component of Nigeria’s law enforcement system.
The officials noted that the corps operates across several stages of enforcement, including intelligence gathering, prevention, arrests, investigations and prosecution of illegal mining cases.
They further commended its use of non-kinetic approaches, including engagement with communities and other stakeholders, to address the problem.
The meeting concluded with an exchange of publications and a commemorative photograph, as both sides reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation in tackling the growing intersection between illegal mining, organised crime and terrorism in Nigeria and the wider region.
