By Obinna Uballa
Nigeria is losing an estimated $9 billion (₦13.7 trillion) annually to illegal mining and gold smuggling, a racket that fuels banditry and deepens insecurity, the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ajao Adewale, has said.
Speaking at a media parley organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council in Abuja on “The Fight Against Illegal Mining: Role of the Media”, Adewale described the practice as a cartel-driven enterprise sustained by influential Nigerians.
Citing figures from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), he warned that the trade had evolved into one of Nigeria’s biggest security and economic threats.
“Illegal mining is not just about stolen resources. It bankrolls terrorism, destroys our environment, drives away legitimate investors and denies the country critical revenue. Powerful Nigerians are the real drivers, using foreigners merely as fronts,” Adewale said.
The police chief identified Zamfara, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kaduna, Niger, Kwara, Osun and parts of the FCT as hotspots. He revealed that no fewer than 72 suspects had been arrested for illegal mining in Abuja between 2023 and 2024.
On his part, Attah Onoja, Commander of the Mining Marshals, an enforcement arm of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) set up under President Bola Tinubu’s directive, said entrenched interests were resisting reforms. He alleged that cartels were even sponsoring “rogue journalism” to undermine enforcement.
“We have dismantled camps, prosecuted offenders and restored order in some corridors, but illegal mining cannot be defeated by security agencies alone. That is why we are asking the media to be true partners in this fight,” Onoja said.
The President of the Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dele Ayanleke, echoed the concerns, pointing to corruption, poverty and weak governance as factors fuelling the crisis. “From child labour in Nasarawa’s lithium fields to mercury poisoning in Zamfara’s gold belts, the costs are devastating,” he said.
On her part, NUJ FCT Chairperson, Grace Ike, urged journalists to expose financiers and amplify the voices of affected communities. “Investigative reporting is key. The media must highlight the hidden dangers, the human toll, and the environmental damage while holding policymakers accountable,” she said.
She added that empowering citizens with credible information was the surest way to dismantle the networks profiting from Nigeria’s mineral wealth.
