Pix: EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede

By Isiaka Mustapha, Editor-in-Chief, People’s Security Monitor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has vowed to intensify its campaign against illegal mining in Nigeria, declaring that its operations will target financiers, mineral buyers, compromised public officials and other beneficiaries of criminal mining networks.

EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said illegal mining was sustained by sophisticated syndicates involving local and international actors, warning that arresting individuals found at mining sites would not be sufficient to dismantle the criminal enterprise.

Olukoyede made the declaration while delivering a keynote address at a public lecture and capacity building workshop organised by the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies and the Human and Environmental Development Agenda in Ilorin, Kwara State.

He explained that illegal mining involved a complex chain of actors, including financiers, transporters, mineral buyers, officials who facilitate operations and individuals who benefit from the proceeds. He maintained that effective enforcement must address every link in the network.

The EFCC chairman disclosed that the commission recorded 52 illegal mining cases between October 2023 and July 2026 and secured the forfeiture of 102 tonnes of solid minerals. He clarified that the commission was not responsible for issuing mining licences or regulating the sector but intervened in cases involving corruption, fraud, money laundering, illicit financial flows and proceeds of crime.

Olukoyede stressed that financial investigations were central to combating illegal mining, noting that proceeds from stolen minerals often moved through bank accounts, businesses, financial transactions and asset acquisitions. He warned that illegal mining could fuel insecurity, smuggling, extortion, violence and territorial disputes in affected communities.

He also cautioned public officials against abusing their positions to facilitate illegal mining, manipulate licensing processes or launder proceeds from mineral theft, insisting that those found culpable would face investigation and prosecution. He called for stronger collaboration among mining regulators, law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence institutions, customs and revenue authorities.

The EFCC chairman urged traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups and civil society organisations to support efforts to expose suspicious mining activities. He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to identifying criminal financiers, recovering illicit assets and prosecuting offenders, stressing that Nigeria’s mineral wealth must serve the interests of citizens rather than criminal syndicates.