Nigeria’s House of Representatives has unveiled plans to investigate the reported discovery of over ₦2 billion in the bank account of a State Commander in the recently established Mining Marshals.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Abdulmaleek Danga on the need to investigate the performance, funding, legal status, and alleged corrupt practices and compromise of the Mining Marshals.
Danga, in his motion, noted that the primary objectives of establishing the Mining Marshals were to secure mining sites, eliminate illegal mining, curb banditry in mineral-rich communities, and safeguard federal revenues generated from the solid minerals sector.
The lawmaker expressed concern that reports indicate a deviation from this mandate, citing allegations of financial impropriety.
He also expressed worry that, instead of a formal judicial inquiry, prosecution, or internal disciplinary action, the commander was merely redeployed, fuelling allegations that the Marshals are being compromised by affluent illegal mining syndicates.
According to him, 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 such actions to the public as successful crackdowns on illegal operators.
The lawmaker argued that the lack of fiscal transparency surrounding the unit, particularly 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, exposes the unit to extra-budgetary expenditure—a situation he said directly undermines Nigeria’s economic interests, resulting in mineral revenue leakages, heightened insecurity, and a deterioration of investor confidence in the solid minerals sector.
House Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu mandated the Committee on Solid Minerals Development to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the actions and performance of the Mining Marshals across the country to determine whether they are operating within their lawful mandate.
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(Editor: Ada Ononye)
