The House of Representatives has resolved to launch a comprehensive investigation into the performance, legal status, funding sources, and alleged systemic compromise of the Mining Marshals Corps, a specialized security outfit established to combat illegal mining across the nation.
The decision followed a motion moved by Hon. Abdulmaleek Abdulraheem Danga, drawing the attention of the House to grave operational and financial anomalies threatening Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
The Mining Marshals Corps was inaugurated on March 21, 2024, as a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Federal Ministry of Interior. Comprising over 2,200 NSCDC personnel, the unit was charged with securing mining sites, curbing banditry in mineral-rich communities, eliminating illegal operations, and safeguarding federal revenue.
The House expressed deep concern over reports revealing that over ₦2 billion was discovered in the bank account of a State Commander of the Mining Marshals. Rather than facing formal judicial prosecution or disciplinary action, the official was reportedly redeployed, fueling widespread allegations that the unit has been compromised by wealthy illegal mining syndicates.
The motion highlighted that personnel, drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), lack deep operational knowledge of the mining sector. This gap has reportedly led to the wrongful arrest and harassment of legal mineral title holders, which are then misrepresented to the public as successful crackdowns on illegal operators.
Lawmakers expressed worry over the lack of fiscal transparency surrounding the unit, particularly the recent procurement and allocation of operational vehicles without clear evidence of legislative appropriation or budgetary allocation from the parent agency.
The House noted that these anomalies directly undermine national economic interests, resulting in massive revenue leakages, heightened insecurity in mineral-rich communities, and a severe decline in investor confidence.
To address these issues and restore integrity to the sector, the House mandated the Committee on Solid Minerals Development to conduct a thorough investigation into:
Operational Performance: Assessing the activities of the Mining Marshals nationwide to determine whether they are operating strictly within their lawful mandate.
Financial Impropriety: Probing allegations of corrupt enrichment, including the ₦2 billion account linked to the former State Commander, as well as similar cases of compromise across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Funding & Procurement: Verifying the source of funding for recently acquired operational vehicles, all external financial inflows, and the legal/budgetary framework supporting the unit’s expenditures.
Legal Framework & Restructuring: Examining the statutory compliance of the unit’s establishment under Section 3 of the NSCDC Act and the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, with a view to recommending an internationally best-practiced and legally sound security model.
The Committee is expected to lay its findings and recommendations before the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
