The Acting Zonal Mines Officer of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) for the North-west Zone, Kaduna State, Engineer Kutman Hosea Ali, expressed commendation for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during a one-day Sensitisation/Townhall meeting held on Friday, December 15, 2023. The event was organized by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake.
Engineer Ali lauded the EFCC’s unwavering commitment to combatting illegal mining within the North-west Zone. Speaking at the meeting, he emphasized the EFCC’s demonstrated competence in addressing this critical issue and expressed confidence in the Commission’s ability to thoroughly sanitize the mining sector. Engineer Ali based his commendation on personal experience, citing a courtesy visit to the EFCC’s command in Kaduna.
He further asserted that the collaboration with the EFCC would significantly enhance the enforcement of regulations and the monitoring of stakeholders’ activities in the mining sector. Engineer Ali stressed the importance of the EFCC’s preventive and sensitization capacities, urging the Commission to extend its efforts from artisans to the mining host communities.
The event, centered around the theme “Mining and Minerals, Community and Social Issues in Kaduna State,” drew stakeholders from the Kafanchan Local Government Area. Engineer Ali highlighted the need for the EFCC’s involvement in preventative measures and sensitization campaigns to support the ministry’s ongoing initiatives aimed at cleansing the mining sector.
During the meeting, EFCC officers delivered lectures on “Overview of the Activities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,” and “The Role of EFCC in Combating Illegal Mining in Kaduna State.” Chief Superintendent Nana Fatima Abubakar from the Public Affairs Department of the Zonal Command elucidated steps the public could take to support the Commission’s anti-corruption efforts.
Abubakar specifically addressed the importance of mining sector operators seeking guidance from the EFCC’s Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML). She also highlighted issues related to tax evasion within the sector and advocated the use of the EFCC’s reporting app, Eagle Eye, as a tool for users to contribute to the fight against corruption.
Binang Eric Ayibi of the Extractive Industry Fraud Section provided insight into mining fraud cases prosecuted by the Commission in the zone. Ayibi disclosed some of the methods used by fraudulent individuals to exploit loopholes in the sector and issued a stern warning to those with fraudulent intentions, cautioning them to refrain from engaging in illegal activities in the mining sector or face arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment.
