Pix: Commander, NSCDC Special Mining Marshals, ACC Onoja John Attah during the inauguration at the National Assembly

In a renewed and coordinated effort to curb the rising menace of illegal mining across the country, the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Illegal Mining has reaffirmed its partnership with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), describing the Corps’ Mining Marshals as a pivotal force in the national drive to sanitize Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.

Speaking during the committee’s inauguration at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, members of the House emphasized the urgent need for synergy between legislative oversight and operational enforcement in order to dismantle illegal mining networks that have cost Nigeria billions of naira in lost revenue and environmental degradation.

Observers have described the move as a significant policy milestone—one that brings together lawmakers, regulators, and security operatives in a unified front to restore order, accountability, and transparency in the mining sector.

The NSCDC Mining Marshals, specially trained to monitor and enforce compliance in mining activities nationwide, have been instrumental in recent crackdowns on unauthorized operations, helping to protect the country’s mineral assets from exploitation by criminal syndicates.

Both institutions have pledged to deepen collaboration through intelligence sharing, joint field operations, and legislative support aimed at strengthening existing laws to ensure that offenders face appropriate sanctions.

The partnership, stakeholders believe, represents a decisive step toward sustainable resource management and economic security in Nigeria’s extractive industry.