EFCC Vows Crackdown on Financiers and Sponsors of Illegal Mining Operations Across Nigeria

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has officially vowed to intensify its nationwide crackdown on illegal mining activities by targeting major financiers, mineral buyers, compromised public officials, and other beneficiaries of criminal resource networks.

According to a report by Punch Newspaper on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, while addressing participants at a workshop in Ilorin, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede warned that arresting ordinary workers at excavation sites alone cannot solve the problem.

The anti-graft agency head explained that these sophisticated syndicates involve both local and international actors who provide funding, facilitate documentations, handle transportation, and protect the illegal extraction operations from lawful regulatory enforcement authorities.

Providing further details, the commission disclosed that it successfully recorded fifty-two illegal mining cases between October 2023 and July 2026, leading to the final forfeiture of over one hundred tonnes of solid minerals.

While clarifying that the agency does not issue mining licences, Olukoyede stressed that financial investigations remain crucial for tracing illicit funds, tracking bank transactions, and prosecuting anyone involved in money laundering and economic sabotage.

Furthermore, he warned that public officials who compromise their official positions to facilitate mineral theft or manipulate licensing documents would face strict prosecution without any exception from the commission’s relentless investigations.

Finally, the EFCC leadership called for robust cooperation among traditional rulers, security agencies, financial institutions, and community groups to share intelligence and help protect the nation’s valuable mineral wealth from criminal exploitation.

Christopherthegreat feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com