Africa-Press – Nigeria. <\/strong><\/span>The Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals, Attah Onoja, on Tuesday, disclosed that revenues accruing from the mining sector increased from paltry N6 billion to over N38 billion within one year of the establishment of the Mining Marshall.<\/p>\nSpeaking at a media parley and workshop organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council on \u201cThe Fight Against Illegal Mining: Role of the Media\u201d, Onoja said the efforts of the Mining Marshalls in addressing illegal mining activities across the country have led to a significant increase in revenues accruing from the mining sector.<\/p>\n
Onoja while urging the media to join in the fight against illegal mining, cautioned against biased or compromised reportage, warning that illegal mining cartels were sponsoring what he called \u201crogue journalism\u201d to discredit enforcement efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not cave to any blackmail designed to weaken our resolve. Illegal mining cannot be defeated by enforcement agencies alone, and this is why we are calling on the media to be partners in this fight,\u201d Onoja said.<\/p>\n
He disclosed that the Marshals\u2014an enforcement arm of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)\u2014had dismantled illegal camps, prosecuted offenders, and restored order in volatile mining corridors since their creation under the Tinubu administration by directive of the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Dele Alake.<\/p>\n
While admitting challenges such as entrenched interests and inadequate logistics, Onoja insisted the campaign was crucial to national survival.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur message is clear: Nigeria\u2019s mineral wealth belongs to all Nigerians\u2014not to be plundered by a few,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n
The Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ajao Adewale, while speaking, revealed that illegal mining has become a powerful cartel-driven enterprise bankrolled by influential Nigerians, fueling banditry and costing the country an estimated $9 billion (\u20a613.7 trillion) annually.<\/p>\n
Adewale described illegal mining as one of Nigeria\u2019s most dangerous national security threats.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) cited that Nigeria loses up to $9 billion (N13.7 Trillion Naira) annually to illegal mining\/gold smuggling in Nigeria. Illegal mining is not just a mere economic crime; it fuels insecurity, degrades our environment, undermines lawful investment, and robs our nation of vital resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cReports have shown that powerful Nigerians are the primary drivers of these operations, using foreigners merely as fronts while banditry and terrorism are bankrolled through this criminal network.\u201d<\/p>\n
The police chief listed Zamfara, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kaduna, Niger, Kwara, Osun and parts of the FCT as hotspots, noting that over 72 suspects had been arrested in Abuja alone between 2023 and 2024 for illegal mining activities. He stressed that without collaboration between security agencies and the media, the cartels would continue to thrive.<\/p>\n
\u201cA global definition of organized criminal mining underscores that when criminal groups control mining at scale, especially in remote, unmonitored areas, the operations resemble cartel-like behaviour. In Nigeria\u2019s context, these networks may exhibit coordinated control over land, extraction and smuggling.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are reports of powerful Nigerians behind illegal mining and funding Insecurity. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has pointed to powerful Nigerians as the primary drivers of illegal mining, noting the use of foreigners merely as fronts. He stated that banditry and terrorism are often funded and facilitated by these well-connected individuals, not grassroots artisanal miners.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn FCT, there has been reportage of illegal mining activities in areas like Gwagwalada, Asokoro, Gaube, Kuje and in Katampe Extension, with a combined total of 72 suspects arrested by the NSCDC, POLICE and EFCC between 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n
The National President of the Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dele Ayanleke, echoed the CP\u2019s concerns, warning that illegal mining was sustained by corruption, poverty, and weak governance.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom child labour in Nasarawa\u2019s lithium fields to mercury poisoning in Zamfara\u2019s gold sites, the costs are severe,\u201d Ayanleke said. \u201cIllegal mining undermines legitimate investors, destroys communities, and fuels insecurity. Only sustained attention \u2014 especially from the media \u2014 can help dismantle these cartels.\u201d<\/p>\n
On her part, the Chairman of NUJ FCT Council, Grace Ike charged journalists to take the fight beyond ordinary reportage by conducting investigative journalism that exposes financiers, amplifies community voices, and pressures policymakers.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs gatekeepers of truth, we must investigate, expose, and educate the public on the devastating effects of illegal mining,\u201d shee said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur credibility depends on balanced reporting, free of sensationalism, while ensuring transparency and accountability in the sector. As usual we must investigate, expose, and educate the public on the devastating effects of illegal mining particularly on communities and water resources.<\/p>\n
\u201d Through balanced and accurate reporting, the media can illuminate the hidden dangers, portray the human and environmental costs involved, and urge policymakers to take decisive actions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NUJ FCT will continue to champion, amplify the voices of affected communities, ensuring that their stories and struggles are heard nationwide because empowering citizens with information gives them the tools to demand better regulatory oversight and environmental protections.<\/p>\n
Source: Daily Post Nigeria<\/b><\/p>\n
For More News And Analysis About Nigeria<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Ogaga Ariemu Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals, Attah Onoja, on Tuesday, disclosed that revenues accruing from the mining sector increased from paltry N6 billion to over N38 billion within one year of the establishment of the Mining Marshall. Speaking at a media parley and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":175370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,1437,29,28,2660],"tags":[496,254,10117],"class_list":["post-175371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","category-head-lines","category-homepage-english","category-to-homepage","tag-mining","tag-nigeria","tag-onoja"],"yoast_head":"\n
Nigeria's Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals, Attah Onoja, on Tuesday, disclosed that ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nigeria's Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals, Attah Onoja, on Tuesday, disclosed that ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nigeria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-20T21:01:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-20T23:10:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1755719015.752619.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"719\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Nigeria’s Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-20T21:01:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-20T23:10:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals\"},\"wordCount\":838,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1755719015.752619.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"mining\",\"Nigeria\",\"Onoja\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"files\",\"head lines\",\"homepage-english\",\"to-homepage\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals\",\"name\":\"Nigeria's Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals - Nigeria\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1755719015.752619.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-20T21:01:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-20T23:10:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"description\":\"The Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals, Attah Onoja, on Tuesday, disclosed that ...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1755719015.752619.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1755719015.752619.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":719,\"caption\":\"Nigeria's Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Nigeria’s Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/\",\"name\":\"Africa Press | Nigeria | Homepage\",\"description\":\"Just another Africa News Agency Sites site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\",\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/author\/cfeditoren\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Nigeria's Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals - Nigeria","description":"The Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals, Attah Onoja, on Tuesday, disclosed that ...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Nigeria's Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals","og_description":"The Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals, Attah Onoja, on Tuesday, disclosed that ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals","og_site_name":"Nigeria","article_published_time":"2025-08-20T21:01:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-20T23:10:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":719,"url":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1755719015.752619.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"cfeditoren","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"cfeditoren","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals"},"author":{"name":"cfeditoren","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb"},"headline":"Nigeria’s Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals","datePublished":"2025-08-20T21:01:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-20T23:10:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals"},"wordCount":838,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1755719015.752619.jpg","keywords":["mining","Nigeria","Onoja"],"articleSection":["all news","files","head lines","homepage-english","to-homepage"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals","name":"Nigeria's Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals - Nigeria","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1755719015.752619.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-20T21:01:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-20T23:10:50+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb"},"description":"The Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals, Attah Onoja, on Tuesday, disclosed that ...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1755719015.752619.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1755719015.752619.jpg","width":1080,"height":719,"caption":"Nigeria's Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/nigerias-mining-revenue-rises-to-n38bn-after-marshals#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Nigeria’s Mining Revenue Rises to N38bn After Marshals"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/","name":"Africa Press | Nigeria | Homepage","description":"Just another Africa News Agency Sites site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb","name":"cfeditoren","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/author\/cfeditoren"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}