The House of Representatives has directed its committee to investigate the operations, funding, legal status, and alleged corrupt practices involving mining marshals, including the reported ₦2 billion bank account linked to a former state commander
The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the operations, funding, legal status and alleged corrupt practices involving the mining marshals, a specialised security outfit established to combat illegal mining across the country.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Rep. Abdulmaleek Abdulraheem Danga, who raised concerns over allegations of financial impropriety, abuse of mandate and lack of transparency in the operations of the unit.
Presenting the motion, Danga recalled that the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Interior, inaugurated the Mining Marshals Corps on March 21, 2024, comprising over 2,200 personnel drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
He noted that the establishment of the outfit was anchored on Section 3 of the NSCDC Act and the regulatory framework of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007.
According to him, the mining marshals were created to protect mining sites, combat illegal mining activities, curb banditry in mineral-producing communities and safeguard government revenues from the solid minerals sector.
However, the lawmaker alleged that the unit had strayed from its core mandate.
The motion reads in part: “Reports indicate a deviation from this mandate, characterised by allegations that the mining marshals lack deep operational knowledge of the mining sector, resulting in the wrongful apprehension and harassment of legitimate mineral title holders while misrepresenting these actions to the public as successful crackdowns on illegal operators.”
Danga further drew the attention of the House to allegations of financial misconduct within the unit.
He said: “There are grave allegations of financial impropriety within the unit, specifically the reported discovery of over ₦2 billion in the bank account of a state commander of the mining marshals.”
The lawmaker expressed concern that rather than being subjected to prosecution or internal disciplinary measures, the officer was allegedly redeployed.
“Instead of a formal judicial inquiry, prosecution, or internal disciplinary action, the said commander was merely redeployed, fuelling allegations that the marshals are being compromised by affluent illegal mining syndicates,” he stated.
Danga also questioned the source of funding for the procurement of operational vehicles recently allocated to the unit, alleging the absence of clear legislative approval or budgetary provision.
“There is a 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 said.
He warned that the alleged operational and financial irregularities could undermine Nigeria’s economic interests by encouraging mineral revenue leakages, worsening insecurity and discouraging investment in the mining sector.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Solid Minerals Development to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the mining marshals.
The committee is expected to examine whether the outfit is operating within its legal mandate, investigate allegations of corrupt enrichment—including the reported ₦2 billion bank account linked to a former state commander—and probe similar allegations across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Lawmakers also directed the panel to investigate the source of funding for the purchase of operational vehicles, scrutinise all external financial inflows into the unit, and determine whether its expenditures were backed by appropriate legal and budgetary provisions.
In addition, the committee is to review the statutory compliance of the Mining Marshals’ establishment, structure and composition with a view to recommending a legally compliant and internationally accepted security model for protecting Nigeria’s mining sector.
The committee is expected to submit its report to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
