By Tracy Moses
The House of Representatives on Wednesday ordered a nationwide investigation into the operations of the Mining Marshals following allegations that more than N2 billion was discovered in the bank account of one of the unit’s State Commanders, amid wider claims of financial misconduct, operational irregularities and opaque funding of the specialised security outfit.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Abdulmaleek Danga during plenary.
Moving the motion, Danga recalled that the Mining Marshals were inaugurated on March 21, 2024, by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as a specialised security outfit established to combat illegal mining and safeguard the nation’s mineral resources.
He explained that the unit, comprising more than 2,200 NSCDC personnel, was created pursuant to Section 3 of the NSCDC Act and the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007. According to him, the Marshals were mandated to secure mining sites, combat illegal mining, curb banditry in mining communities and protect government revenue from the solid minerals sector.
Danga, however, alleged that the unit had strayed from its core mandate, citing reports that many of its personnel lacked adequate knowledge of mining operations and the legal framework governing the sector.
According to him, the deficiency had resulted in the harassment, intimidation and wrongful arrest of legitimate mineral title holders, with such actions allegedly being presented as successful operations against illegal miners.
He further drew the attention of the House to what he described as serious allegations of financial impropriety within the outfit, including reports that more than N2 billion was traced to the bank account of one of its State Commanders.
“The House is also concerned by grave allegations of financial impropriety within the unit, specifically the reported discovery of over N2bn in the bank account of a State Commander of the Mining Marshals,” Danga said.
The lawmaker further alleged that instead of instituting a judicial inquiry, prosecution or disciplinary proceedings, the officer in question was merely redeployed, a development he said had fuelled public suspicion that the unit may have been compromised by illegal mining syndicates.
Danga also questioned the transparency of the Mining Marshals’ funding, alleging that operational vehicles had been procured and distributed without any clearly identifiable legislative appropriation or budgetary provision.
“The House is disturbed by the lack of fiscal transparency surrounding the unit, notably the recent procurement and allocation of operational vehicles to the Marshals without a clear record of legislative appropriation or budgetary allocation from the parent agency, thereby exposing the unit to extrabudgetary expenditure,” he stated.
He warned that the alleged financial and operational lapses could undermine the Federal Government’s efforts to reposition the solid minerals sector by encouraging revenue leakages, worsening insecurity in mining communities and eroding investor confidence.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Solid Minerals Development to conduct a comprehensive nationwide investigation into the activities of the Mining Marshals.
Specifically, the committee is to determine whether the unit is operating within its statutory mandate, investigate allegations of corruption, including the reported N2 billion linked to a former State Commander and any similar cases across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and examine the sources of funding for operational vehicles and other expenditures.
The committee is also expected to review the legal framework establishing the Mining Marshals, assess the unit’s organisational structure and compliance with existing laws, and recommend an internationally accepted and legally compliant security framework for protecting Nigeria’s mining assets.
The panel was given four weeks to conclude its investigation and report back to the House for further legislative action.
The Mining Marshals were launched by the Federal Government in March 2024 as part of efforts to curb illegal mining, a longstanding challenge that has deprived Nigeria of substantial revenue, contributed to environmental degradation and fuelled insecurity in several mineral-producing communities. The initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to strengthen regulation of the mining sector and position solid minerals as a major driver of economic diversification beyond oil.