By Nkechi Eze
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intensified inter-agency collaboration in Kwara State as part of renewed efforts to combat illegal mining, corruption, banditry and terrorism financing.
The new Zonal Director of the EFCC, Ilorin Zonal Directorate, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE I) Victoria Ugo-Ali, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, paid strategic courtesy visits to the Commandant of the 22 Armoured Brigade, Brigadier General Nicholas Rume, and the Kwara State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Michael Oganwu, in Ilorin.
According to an official statement signed by the Commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the visits were aimed at strengthening operational synergy among security agencies to address economic crimes and emerging security threats within the state and its environs.
During her engagement with the Army Commandant, Ugo-Ali identified illegal mining as a significant threat to Nigeria’s economic stability and national security. She noted that illicit mining activities are often orchestrated by organised criminal syndicates that bypass regulatory frameworks and deprive the nation of vital revenue. She called for deeper intelligence sharing, coordinated field operations and enhanced protection of mining sites to effectively curb the menace.
The Zonal Director further drew attention to the link between illegal mining and terrorism financing, explaining that proceeds from unlawful mineral exploitation are sometimes funneled into funding violent and extremist activities. She stressed that disrupting these financial pipelines is central to the EFCC’s mandate and requires sustained collaboration with the military to dismantle entrenched criminal networks.
In his response, Brigadier General Rume commended the EFCC’s proactive initiative and reaffirmed the Brigade’s commitment to supporting anti-corruption and economic crime operations within its area of responsibility. He pledged continued cooperation through joint task operations, prompt intelligence exchange and coordinated capacity-building efforts to enhance operational effectiveness and stem economic sabotage.
At the DSS office, Ugo-Ali emphasized the importance of intelligence-driven collaboration in tackling corruption, economic crimes and the rising threat of banditry in parts of Kwara and neighbouring states. She observed that corruption and illicit financial flows frequently serve as enablers of insecurity by providing funding channels for bandit groups and extremist elements. According to her, cutting off these financial lifelines through joint investigations and strategic enforcement would significantly weaken criminal enterprises.
Responding, Oganwu assured the EFCC of the DSS’s steadfast support, noting that the fight against corruption, banditry and terrorism financing requires a unified front among security agencies. He pledged actionable intelligence and sustained strategic cooperation to ensure effective enforcement and promote lasting peace in the state.
The renewed engagement signals a strengthened security alliance in Kwara, with agencies aligning resources and intelligence capabilities to confront illegal mining and other economic crimes that threaten national stability.
