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18 Illegal Miners and a Lesson in Interagency Cooperation
By Zekeri Idakwo Laruba
It is often said that, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Helen Keller expressed the same principle in another memorable way: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Few national challenges demonstrate the wisdom of these words more clearly than Nigeria’s fight against illegal mining.
Illegal exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral resources is not a problem that one institution, security agency or ministry can solve alone. It cuts across security, economic regulation, environmental protection, community relations, intelligence gathering and criminal justice. It therefore requires institutions with different mandates to operate not as isolated agencies, but as parts of one national security and economic architecture.
This is where interagency collaboration is beginning to make a measurable difference.
At the heart of the renewed campaign is the Mining Marshals of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), established to strengthen enforcement against illegal mining and protect the country’s mineral resources. But the effectiveness of the Mining Marshals depends significantly on their ability to work with other security and regulatory institutions.
The philosophy is straightforward: Nigeria’s security agencies are like children of the same father. In this case, the Federal Government is the father, while the agencies are the children, each with different responsibilities but ultimately working for the same family, the Nigerian state. Their shared objective should therefore be to protect national assets, secure communities, uphold the law and create an environment in which Nigeria’s natural resources can contribute meaningfully to national development.
A recent operation in Izom, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, provides a practical illustration of how this philosophy can produce results.
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 102 Guards Battalion, during a routine operation, uncovered an unauthorised mining site and arrested 18 suspected illegal miners. Rather than treating the operation as the end of the process, the soldiers transferred the suspects and recovered exhibits to the Mining Marshals Headquarters in Sauka, Abuja, for further investigation and prosecution.
That handover is more significant than it may initially appear. The Army brought its operational strength and field presence to the encounter. The Mining Marshals, with their specialised mandate under the NSCDC, then assumed responsibility for the mining-related investigation and prosecution process. In other words, one agency detected and disrupted the activity, while another specialised institution took the matter forward within its statutory mandate.
This is what effective interagency cooperation should look like: complementary responsibilities rather than institutional competition.
The Mining Marshals Commander, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Attah Onoja, recognised the importance of the development, describing the Nigerian Army’s action as exemplary, unprecedented and patriotic.
“The Nigerian Army has once again distinguished itself through professionalism, discipline and patriotism. The swift arrest of the suspects and their prompt handover to the Mining Marshals reflect a commendable commitment to the rule of law and the protection of Nigeria’s solid mineral resources,” he said.
The preliminary investigation reportedly established that the suspects could not produce licences, permits, mineral titles or affiliations with registered mining companies authorising their activities. Items recovered included motorcycles, pumping machines, crusher engines, communication devices and ₦2,468,750 in cash.
The case demonstrates an important evolution in Nigeria’s approach to illegal mining. Instead of viewing illegal mining simply as an isolated regulatory violation, authorities are increasingly treating it as an economic and security challenge requiring intelligence-led intervention. That distinction matters.
Illegal mining can generate enormous environmental damage, undermine legitimate operators, deprive government of revenue and create conditions that can be exploited by organised criminal networks. In some areas, mining sites can also become flashpoints for conflict and insecurity.
No single agency possesses all the capabilities required to address these interconnected problems.
The Nigerian Army brings military capacity and extensive territorial presence. The NSCDC brings specialised civil protection and mining enforcement capabilities through the Mining Marshals. The Nigeria Police Force provides criminal investigation and law-enforcement capacity. Other agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, the Department of State Services and relevant environmental and mining regulatory institutions, can contribute intelligence, border control, investigation and regulatory expertise where their mandates apply.
The value of such cooperation is particularly evident when intelligence gathered by one agency can be converted into operational action by another.
This is why the leadership and political direction behind the Mining Marshals matter.
The establishment and strengthening of the specialised unit reflect the foresight of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration under the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its determination to make Nigeria’s solid minerals sector a more productive component of the economy. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Oladele Henry Alake, has consistently emphasised the need to confront illegal exploitation while repositioning the sector for responsible investment.
The NSCDC leadership under Commandant-General Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi has also provided institutional backing to the Mining Marshals, while the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, oversees the ministry responsible for the Corps.
But political and institutional backing can only translate into results when officers on the ground are willing and able to work together.
That is why the cooperation between the Mining Marshals and the Nigerian Army deserves recognition. It demonstrates that national security is most effective when agencies recognise their mandates as complementary rather than competing.
There is also a public relations dimension to this collaboration. When agencies publicly acknowledge one another’s contributions, it strengthens institutional trust and communicates a message of unity to the public. Commander Onoja’s commendation of the Army does precisely that. It tells personnel across agencies that cooperation is valued, while also assuring Nigerians that government institutions are capable of working together in the national interest.
The same principle extends to communities. Successful anti-illegal mining operations require more than arrests. Intelligence frequently comes from local communities, traditional institutions, legitimate miners and other stakeholders who understand the terrain. When security agencies coordinate their activities and engage communities respectfully, they are more likely to obtain credible information and reduce resistance to lawful enforcement.
This is where enforcement, community relations and development policy converge. The objective should ultimately be to make legal mining more attractive than illegal mining, while ensuring that those who deliberately exploit national resources outside the law face consequences.
The Izom operation therefore represents more than the arrest of 18 suspects. It is an example of how institutional cooperation can turn individual mandates into collective capacity.
The statement by Abdul Ben of the Open Dialogue Initiative, who commended the Nigerian Army’s intervention as professional, further illustrates the importance of public recognition of successful interagency operations.
Nigeria’s mineral wealth is too valuable to be protected through fragmented efforts. The country needs intelligence sharing, coordinated operations, clear prosecution pathways, community engagement and sustained political commitment.
The lesson is simple: an agency may win an operation alone, but a nation wins the war together.
The Mining Marshals cannot do it alone. The Army cannot do it alone. The Police cannot do it alone. Regulatory agencies cannot do it alone.
But when these institutions operate as children of the same national family, bringing their different capabilities to a common mission, the result is greater than the sum of its parts.
That is the emerging strength of Nigeria’s renewed campaign to reclaim its mineral wealth: collaboration is turning enforcement from isolated action into collective national capacity.
