Senate confirms Illegal gold mining driving banditry, arms deal in N/West

A Senate report has identified illegal artisanal gold mining in Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina states as a critical factor driving insecurity in the North-West, revealing that proceeds from the illicit activities are being used to procure arms and sustain violent criminal networks.

The revelation was made public in a Senate report read by Opeyemi Bamidele, chairman of the Senate ad-hoc committee on national security, who is also the leader of the Senate.

According to the report seen by our correspondent, at the North-West Zonal Public Hearing held in Kaduna State on Saturday, November 29, 2025, participants warned that insecurity in the zone has “grown beyond isolated criminality into a sophisticated ecosystem of organised crime.”

In their submissions as stated in the report, stakeholders commended the Senate for adopting what they described as a ‘whole-of-society approach’ to tackling insecurity, noting that the initiative recognises that “security has become a shared responsibility.”

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“This legislative initiative is a direct response to the complex threats we face as a nation,” the report stated.

“Insecurity today is fluid, multi-layered and sustained by powerful transnational networks that no single institution, no matter how well-funded or well-intentioned, can resolve alone.”

The report noted that across Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara states, the security crisis confronting the North-West is ‘vast in scale and evolving in nature.’

“What began years ago as small-scale banditry has now grown into a sophisticated ecosystem of organised crime,” it said, adding that the crisis is being fuelled by ‘ethnic and religious suspicions, land disputes, economic deprivation, porous borders with the Niger Republic, arms proliferation and extensive smuggling across sparsely policed corridors.’

The report further emphasised the need for an integrated security system that balances military strength with community engagement and long-term development.

“There is an urgent need to establish an integrated system that combines kinetic responses with community participation and sustainable development,” the report stated.

Regarding regional cooperation, stakeholders, as stated in the report, urged the expansion of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to cover Nigeria’s borders with the Niger Republic.

“A strong security partnership beyond our borders must be supported through the expansion of the MNJTF to cover our borders with the Niger Republic,” they said.

Illegal artisanal mining was singled out as a major enabler of violence in the region.

“Illegal artisanal mining of gold in Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina, where the proceeds from these illicit activities are used to procure arms, is profoundly responsible for insecurity in the North-West,” the report stated.

It explained that these activities are closely linked to kidnapping for ransom, mass abductions, cattle rustling and the operations of long-standing criminal networks.

“These heinous activities are characterised by kidnapping for ransom, abduction of school children, attacks on highways, rural mass abductions and cattle rustling, with stolen livestock transported across states,” it added.

Stakeholders further noted that bandits continue to terrorise communities in Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, and Niger states.

“Bandits continue to kidnap school children, travellers, farmers, and even traditional rulers,” the report further added.

Beyond criminality, participants highlighted political and governance-related challenges contributing to the crisis.

“Weak local governance, politicisation of security issues, divergent political interests and the obstruction of unified action have significantly worsened the security situation,” the report stated.

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Other factors identified include “poor response time by security agencies, lack of trust between citizens and security operatives, allegations of corruption, occasional operational excesses, economic marginalisation, environmental pressures and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.”

The report further added that addressing insecurity requires comprehensive, intelligence-driven inter-agency collaboration, backed by strong governance and socio-economic interventions.

“Only through coordinated institutional and regional collaboration can Nigeria reverse the trajectory of violence and secure the future.”

The report also expressed concern over rising urban crime, noting that incessant robbery cases and ‘one chance’ criminal activities continue to threaten everyday lives in cities such as Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.

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