Reps probe alleged N2bn found in mining marshals commander’s account

The House of Representatives on Wednesday ordered an investigation into allegations of financial misconduct and operational abuses involving the Mining Marshals, including claims that more than N2 billion was discovered in the bank account of one of the outfit’s State Commanders.

The Green Chamber also directed a probe into the funding of the specialised security unit, amid concerns over its legal framework, budgetary transparency and compliance with existing laws.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Abdulmaleek Danga, who questioned the operations of the Mining Marshals, a security outfit established by the Federal Government to combat illegal mining.

Moving the motion, Danga recalled that the Mining Marshals were inaugurated on March 21, 2024, by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Interior.

According to him, the unit comprises more than 2,200 officers drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and was created pursuant to Section 3 of the NSCDC Act and the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007.

He explained that the Marshals were established to protect mining sites, tackle illegal mining, address insecurity in mining communities and safeguard government revenue from the solid minerals sector.

However, he alleged that the unit had strayed from those objectives.

“The House is concerned by reports indicating 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 said.

The lawmaker further alleged that the unit was embroiled in serious financial misconduct.

“The House is also concerned by grave allegations of financial impropriety within the unit, specifically the reported discovery of over N2bn in the bank account of a State Commander of the Mining Marshals,” he said.

Danga claimed that rather than facing prosecution or disciplinary measures, the officer was merely transferred, raising questions about accountability.

“The House is worried that 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.

He also faulted the manner in which the unit’s operations are financed, pointing to the acquisition of operational vehicles without any publicly known legislative appropriation.

“The House is disturbed by the 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.

Danga warned that the alleged irregularities threaten efforts to develop the solid minerals sector and attract investment.

“The House is convinced that these operational and financial anomalies directly undermine Nigeria’s economic interests, resulting in mineral revenue leakages, heightened insecurity, and a deterioration of investor confidence in the solid minerals sector,” Danga added.

Following the adoption of the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Solid Minerals Development to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the Mining Marshals across the country.

The committee is expected to determine whether the outfit is operating within its statutory mandate, investigate the alleged N2 billion linked to a former State Commander and any related cases across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and examine the source of funding for operational vehicles and other expenditures.

Lawmakers also tasked the panel with reviewing the legal basis for the establishment of the Mining Marshals, its organisational structure and compliance with extant laws, while recommending a legally compliant and internationally acceptable security framework for the protection of Nigeria’s mining assets.

The committee was given four weeks to submit its findings for further legislative action.

The Mining Marshals were established by the Federal Government in March 2024 as a specialised security unit to tackle illegal mining, which has long undermined government revenue, worsened environmental degradation and contributed to insecurity in mineral-producing communities.

Illegal mining remains prevalent in states including Zamfara, Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kaduna, where criminal syndicates have been accused of exploiting Nigeria’s mineral resources outside regulatory oversight while denying the government significant revenue.