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Reps Launch Nationwide Probe into Illegal Mining, Vow Crackdown on Revenue Leakages
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By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has commenced a comprehensive investigation into illegal mineral exploitation across Nigeria, pledging to tackle the activities of criminal networks draining the country’s vast mineral resources.
The move was the resolution at a high-level stakeholders’ workshop on extractive industry governance organised by the House Ad Hoc Committee on Mineral Exploitation, Security and Anti-Money Laundering on Monday in Abuja.
Declaring the workshop open, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, described the committee’s assignment as one of the most significant responsibilities before the National Assembly.
He lamented that for years, illegal operators had continued to exploit Nigeria’s mineral wealth, depriving the country of much-needed revenue and weakening its economic potential.
Abbas explained that the workshop was designed to gather credible information, evidence and practical recommendations from regulators, security agencies and operators within the extractive industry before the House considers further legislative action.
He urged participants to speak openly and contribute meaningful solutions.
According to him, “Nigeria cannot achieve economic diversification, fiscal stability or job creation if the sector that should be a second revenue pillar is bleeding from illegality and opacity.
“This is not an inquisition; it is a partnership. Withhold nothing, speak plainly and proffer solutions. The success of this intervention depends on the quality of information we receive and the sincerity of purpose we all bring to this room”.
Earlier, Chairman of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Mineral Exploitation, Security and Anti-Money Laundering, Rep. Sanni Abdulraheem, said the committee was also examining whether existing laws and regulatory institutions were strong enough to close loopholes that continue to encourage illegal mining.
He explained that the investigation will also trace the financial networks through which proceeds from illegal mining are concealed and laundered, while assessing whether security arrangements around mining communities are adequate.
Abdulraheem identified illegal mining, weak enforcement and money laundering as the major factors responsible for the disconnect.
“Nigeria is blessed. Few nations on earth carry the range and richness of mineral deposits that lie across our states—gold, lithium, tin, coal, tantalite and many more. On paper, these resources should be transforming livelihoods, funding schools and hospitals, and strengthening our national economy. Yet, for too long, a troubling gap has persisted between the wealth in our ground and the prosperity in our communities.
“That gap has a name: illegal mining, weak enforcement, and the laundering of proceeds that should belong to the Nigerian people. It is a gap filled instead by criminal networks, by revenue leakages we can no longer afford to ignore, and by security threats that have, in some of our communities, turned mineral-rich land into contested and dangerous territory”, hesaid.
The lawmaker noted that the committee had already engaged several government agencies and, where necessary, issued summons to compel cooperation.
He emphasised that the exercise was not intended to create confrontation but to ensure transparency and accountability.
“Oversight without candour achieves nothing, and reform without accurate information is guesswork dressed as policy,” he added.
Abdulraheem maintained that addressing illegal mining required collaboration among regulators, security agencies, financial intelligence institutions, state governments, traditional rulers, licensed operators and civil society organisations.
He also commended security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Mining Marshals, for their efforts in protecting the country’s mineral resources.
According to him, “We must understand your capacity gaps honestly, so that we can recommend the support and reform you genuinely need.”
He further noted that illicit mining proceeds often pass through complex financial channels that require coordinated efforts to track and dismantle.
“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. We look to your expertise to help this Committee and the nation close those channels,” he said.
He therefore assured participants that all submissions, data and recommendations received during the workshop would form part of the committee’s final report to the House.
Also speaking at the event, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps disclosed that its Mining Marshals had arrested more than 671 suspected illegal miners across the country, with 397 already facing prosecution.
Representing the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah Onoja, said the Corps had dismantled several illegal mining sites, leading to improved government revenue and renewed investor confidence in the sector.
He, however, identified inadequate logistics, limited manpower, delays in the judicial process and interference from organised criminal syndicates as major obstacles to effective enforcement.
Onoja called for increased funding, improved surveillance technology and the establishment of specialised courts to handle mining-related offences more efficiently.
The workshop attracted regulators, security agencies, industry operators and other stakeholders, who pledged to support efforts aimed at sanitising Nigeria’s mining sector and ensuring that the country’s mineral resources contribute meaningfully to national development.
The self-acclaimed Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, Adeyemi Adeniyi, says he borrowed the N400 million to secured the job at the presidency.
Adeniyi made this revelation on Monday during zoom interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.
He said his creditors have reported him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
He described the way some actors in government taking the matter as ‘unfortunate and embarrassing’, asking how only him could manoeuvre the entire Federal Government system.
“I borrowed this money, the N400 million, to pay for this appointment. In fact, those that I borrowed the money from have reported me to the EFCC to refund it,” he said.
When asked to react to the report that there is a United States lobbying firm helping him to seek an asylum, Adeniyi said, “I read it the way you read it.”
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May 18 primaries has come to a close, I appeal to all my people to support all APC candidates -Ize-Iyamu
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has beckoned on all his loyalists to support All Progressives Congress APC candidates after the party formally endorsed all Edo State candidates.
This was contained in a statement he personally signed encouraging his loyalists in Edo South to throw their weights behind all APC candidates.
Hear him:
“Following wide-ranging consultations with our leaders, party members, supporters, women, youths, and well-wishers across Edo South, Nigeria, and the diaspora, I address you today(Monday ) with profound gratitude, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the unity and progress of our great party.
“The APC Edo South Senatorial Primary held on May 18, 2026 has come to a close. Our party has completed its democratic process, and a candidate has emerged. I accept the decision of our party in good faith and appeal to all our members, followers and friends to do same.
“The All Progressives Congress is greater than any individual ambition. It is a platform built on service, sacrifice, discipline, and our shared commitment to a better future for our people. Political contests may test our preferences, but they must never diminish our common purpose.
To every supporter, coordinator, volunteer, grassroots mobiliser, and everyone who stood with us throughout this journey, I offer my heartfelt appreciation. Your loyalty, sacrifices, encouragement, and prayers have been a constant source of strength. I remain deeply grateful for your confidence and steadfast support.
I wish to specially thank our brothers and sisters in the diaspora across party lines for the overwhelming support they gave my senatorial bid and assure them of my continous commitment to the development and progress of our district. I urge every one of you to remain peaceful, reject division, and continue to uphold the values that have always defined our people.
Now is the time to reconcile, close ranks, and focus on the greater task before us. Our collective responsibility to serve the people of Edo South is far greater than any individual aspiration. As we move forward, I remain committed to working with our leaders, stakeholders, and party faithfuls to strengthen the APC, secure victory in the general election, and advance the development and well-being of Edo South Senatorial District.
The contest is behind us. The future is before us. Let us move forward with one resolve, and one commitment- to build a stronger APC and a more prosperous Edo South.
Thank you for your prayers, your loyalty, and your unwavering support throughout this journey.
History will not remember the contest we fought; it will remember the future we built together. Let us unite. Let us serve. Let us win for the APC, for Edo South and for the people of Edo State.
God bless the All Progressives Congress. God bless Edo South Senatorial District. God bless Edo State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Oba gha to kpere, ise
The Senate Committee on Finance has opened a fresh scrutiny of the Federal Government’s import duty waiver regime after the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) disclosed that the value of Import Duty Exemption Certificates (IDECs) issued since March 2020 rose to about ₦34 trillion by 2025.
The committee also threatened sanctions against the heads of several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, for failing to appear before its investigative hearing on revenue remittances.
Appearing before the committee on Monday, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the agency’s revenue performance had been significantly influenced by government fiscal policies, particularly import duty exemptions granted to strategic sectors.
He explained that about 60 per cent of the ₦34 trillion worth of duty waivers covered military hardware imported to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, while the remaining exemptions applied to imports of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, medical equipment, industrial machinery, manufacturing inputs and food items under government intervention programmes.
Adeniyi maintained that duty waivers should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue forgone, arguing that they were intended to promote broader economic and social objectives, including industrial growth, improved healthcare delivery and national security.
He, however, recommended stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of the incentives deliver the expected outcomes through increased production, lower prices and wider economic benefits.
The Customs boss also told lawmakers that the Service had generated about ₦4.5 trillion as of June 30, 2026, against an annual revenue target of ₦11.04 trillion.
However, the hearing exposed disagreements over Customs’ financial obligations after the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) alleged that the agency had an outstanding operating surplus liability of about ₦8.9 billion based on its 2019 audited accounts.
Customs officials rejected the claim, insisting that the figures required reconciliation.
The committee also turned its attention to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) after the Fiscal Responsibility Commission alleged that the agency had failed to remit about ₦13.9 billion in operating surplus between 2023 and 2025.
Responding, the Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, acknowledged the outstanding liability but said the Commission had commenced gradual settlement of the amount.
To establish the actual figure, Chairman of the committee, Senator Sani Musa, directed the CAC, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission and the committee’s secretariat to reconcile their records and submit a comprehensive report within two weeks.
The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several invited agencies from the investigative hearing.
Senator Musa warned that the heads of the NCAA, SMEDAN, ITF, FMC Jabi and other defaulting agencies must appear at the next sitting or face sanctions under the Senate Standing Rules.
He stressed that agencies responsible for managing public resources have a constitutional obligation to account for revenues generated on behalf of the Federal Government and comply with legislative oversight.
PFIPC scandal: ‘I borrowed N400 million to secure the appointment’ – Adeyemi Adeniyi
May 18 primaries has come to a close, I appeal to all my people to support all APC candidates -Ize-Iyamu
Senate investigates N34tn Duty Waivers, Threatens Sanctions for Defaulting Agencies
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