Tinubu Exposes Where Nigerian Terrorists Get Funding

• President Tinubu calls for the recognition of mineral theft and illegal mining in Africa as international crimes threatening peace and development
• He says proceeds from stolen resources fund insecurity, arms proliferation, and economic instability across West Africa
• The Nigerian leader urges ECOWAS nations to strengthen anti-corruption frameworks and intelligence sharing to combat illicit financial flows

President Bola Tinubu has urged African leaders to unite and push for the global recognition of mineral resource theft from the continent as an international crime.

He said such acts have become serious threats to regional peace, stability, and development, and called for coordinated global action against illegal mining and mineral smuggling.

Tinubu seeks global sanction on mineral theft

Tinubu made the appeal at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja while declaring open the Annual General Meeting of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA).

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, he said criminalising the theft of mineral resources at the international level would empower affected countries to take firm measures against offenders.

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The president noted that proceeds from stolen resources not only deprive nations of vital revenue but also fuel insecurity, banditry, and the proliferation of small arms across West Africa.

ECOWAS leaders urged to tackle corruption together

Tinubu urged NACIWA delegates to review regional frameworks on anti-money laundering, financial intelligence sharing, and extractive sector accountability to build stronger anti-corruption systems.

He also noted that the fight against illicit financial flows required cooperation among countries, as no single nation could confront it alone.

The president said his administration had prioritised asset tracing and recovery, introducing new legal frameworks to manage and repurpose recovered funds.

He disclosed that N100 billion recovered from crime proceeds had been channeled into the Student Loan Scheme and Consumer Credit Scheme to promote social inclusion and financial access.

Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, called on West African countries to domesticate the ECOWAS Protocol on Corruption to ensure that corrupt officials find no refuge within the region.

He also proposed the establishment of an ECOWAS Regional Task Force on Asset Recovery to enhance cross-border investigations and intelligence sharing.

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The EFCC Chairman and NACIWA President, Ola Olukoyede, said the anti-corruption fight in West Africa must align with broader goals of political stability, institutional integrity, and social justice to deliver lasting impact.

Nigeria’s solid minerals sector soars

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria’s solid minerals sector is undergoing a transformation, with recent reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s administration triggering a sixfold revenue increase and attracting over $800 million in foreign investment within a year.

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, disclosed the figures during a feature interview for a State House documentary marking the President’s second year in office.

According to Alake, the sector generated N38 billion in revenue in 2024, up from N6 billion in the previous year, despite receiving only 18% of its N29 billion budget allocation from the federal government.

Source: Legit.ng