Senate Confirms Illegal Gold Mining Driving Insecurity

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, 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."