EFCC nabs 3 suspected illegal gold miners in Borno

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested three suspects in Borno State over alleged involvement in illegal gold mining, as the anti-graft agency intensifies its nationwide clampdown on unlicensed solid minerals excavation that authorities say is fuelling insecurity and economic losses across Nigeria.

The Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the EFCC confirmed the arrests were carried out following actionable intelligence on the suspects’ mining activities in the state. The operatives were taken into custody and are being held pending the conclusion of investigations, after which they are expected to be arraigned in court.

The EFCC said the suspects operated without any of the licences, permits, or regulatory approvals required by Nigerian law to engage in mining activities, a pattern consistent with arrests the commission has made in other states. The agency has not disclosed the specific location of the mining site or the quantity of gold recovered, but said all relevant materials found in the suspects’ possession have been seized as evidence.

The arrests come against the backdrop of growing concern about the proliferation of illegal artisanal gold mining in Borno State. The Executive Chairman of Hawul Local Government Area, Yusuf Mamman Msheliza, had earlier ordered the immediate suspension of all illegal gold mining activities, locally known as Taunar Zinari, across communities including Kwajaffa, Tashan Alade, Dzur, and Manjakwa, warning that unchecked illegal mining had encouraged truancy among pupils, worsened youth delinquency, and contributed to rising insecurity in the area.

The link between illegal mining and insecurity in the North-East is well established. Security analysts have noted that artisanal mining sites often attract large, unregulated populations and provide cover for criminal networks, creating environments where insurgent groups can recruit, extort, and operate with relative ease.

The EFCC’s Borno operation is part of a broader national enforcement wave. The Ilorin Zonal Directorate arrested eight suspects and impounded six trucks over alleged illegal mining activities along the Ilorin–Ogbomosho axis in Kwara and Oyo states in February, bringing to 18 the total number of suspects apprehended by that zonal office within a single month over illegal mining allegations. An earlier operation in Kwara intercepted nine truck drivers and one escort allegedly conveying unlawfully mined solid minerals including lithium, tin, and lepidolite — none of whom possessed the required regulatory approvals.

The commission has stated that all suspects in the Borno case will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.