A group of Nigerian security experts has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action against illegal mining activities in Zamfara State and other parts of northern Nigeria, warning that the practice remains a major driver of insecurity and banditry in the region.
The experts, operating under the platform of the Arewa Patriotic Neighbourhood Watch (APNW), made the call during a media briefing following a one-day security retreat held in Jos, Plateau State. They cited several investigative reports which, according to them, suggest the involvement of influential individuals in sustaining illegal mining operations, a development they said requires urgent scrutiny by relevant authorities.
APNW Convener, Dr Danlami Shehu, said the persistence of illegal mining continues to undermine security efforts aimed at ending banditry, as proceeds from the illicit activity provide a reliable source of funding for armed groups.
He explained that bandits often offer protection for illegal mining sites, creating safe havens that restrict access for security agencies and complicate efforts to dismantle criminal networks.
“Illegal gold mining has repeatedly been identified as a major factor fuelling insecurity in Zamfara and parts of the North-West. As long as these activities are allowed to continue unchecked, banditry will remain resilient,” Shehu said.
He recalled that the Federal Government, in April 2019, imposed a ban on mining activities in Zamfara State after establishing a strong link between illegal mining and armed violence. According to him, although several security operations were launched to dismantle criminal networks around mining locations, weak enforcement has allowed the practice to persist.
Shehu added that reports by both local and international research institutions have consistently linked proceeds from illegal mining to the procurement of arms by criminal groups, thereby worsening violence and instability in affected communities.
Also speaking, APNW Assistant Secretary, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed, a native of Zamfara State, decried the socio-economic and environmental consequences of illegal mining on host communities.
Ahmed said unregulated mining has not only heightened insecurity but has also resulted in severe environmental degradation, public health challenges and significant economic losses to the state and the nation.
He recalled the 2010 lead poisoning crisis in parts of Zamfara, which claimed the lives of hundreds of people, mostly children, and was traced to unsafe artisanal mining practices.
“Our communities are still grappling with the consequences of years of illegal mining, from serious health challenges to the loss of livelihoods. This is why decisive and sustained government action is imperative,” Ahmed said.
The group urged the Tinubu administration to strengthen the enforcement of mining regulations, intensify intelligence-driven security operations around mining sites, and deepen collaboration between security agencies and host communities.
They expressed optimism that a renewed and coordinated clampdown on illegal mining would significantly weaken banditry and help restore peace and stability in Zamfara State and the wider North-West region.
