By Emmanuel Onyedika
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Mineral Exploitation, Security and Anti-Money Laundering, Hon. Sanni Egidi Abdulraheem, has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, security institutions, state governments, mining operators and other stakeholders to tackle illegal mining and the laundering of proceeds from Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
Speaking at a High-Level Stakeholders Workshop on Extractive Industry Governance in Abuja, Abdulraheem stressed that the fight against illegal mineral exploitation requires a coordinated national response, noting that no single institution can address the challenge alone. He described the committee’s assignment as “a national duty” aimed at ensuring Nigeria derives maximum benefit from its mineral wealth while protecting communities from criminal activities.
He highlighted that illegal mining, weak enforcement mechanisms and laundering of proceeds have fuelled revenue losses and insecurity in mining communities. The ad hoc committee was constituted to investigate the scale of illegal mineral exploitation, trace illicit financial flows, assess security arrangements in mining areas and examine the adequacy of existing laws and regulatory institutions.
Abdulraheem disclosed that the committee has held several investigative sittings, engaged relevant agencies and issued summons where cooperation was inadequate. “Oversight without candour achieves nothing, and reform without accurate information is guesswork dressed as policy,” he said.
He urged the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office to provide licensing data to strengthen oversight, while calling on security agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Mining Marshals, to identify operational gaps requiring legislative support. He further tasked the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to intensify efforts to trace illicit financial flows linked to illegal mining.
“The financial trail is often where the truth is hardest to hide. Illicit proceeds do not vanish; they move through accounts, shell arrangements and cross-border channels that can be traced with the right tools and the right political will,” he noted.
The committee chairman appealed to state governments and traditional rulers to provide intelligence from mining communities, assuring licensed operators that the investigation is intended to protect legitimate investments. He also commended civil society organisations and the media for promoting transparency in the extractive industry.
Abdulraheem said submissions from the workshop would form part of the committee’s report to the House of Representatives, focusing on practical legislative, regulatory, security and administrative reforms. He reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to fairness, transparency and safeguarding Nigeria’s mineral wealth for the benefit of all citizens.