The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, has called for a broader approach to mining security, stressing that protecting mining sites alone is insufficient without safeguarding host communities and the environment.
The State Commandant, Adedotun Keshinro, made the call at the eighth edition of the NSCDC Lagos Public Relations Clinic, organised in partnership with Halogen in GRA, Ikeja.
The clinic, held under the theme, “Collaborative Security as a Paradigm for Mining Security,” focused on strengthening partnerships, promoting safer communities, developing sustainable security solutions and improving communication among stakeholders.
Keshinro said illegal mining, unregulated operations and insecurity along mining corridors posed significant economic and security threats to Nigeria.
He stressed that mining security must also prevent criminal elements from exploiting illegal mining activities to finance other forms of crime, noting that the responsibility could not be handled by a single agency.
“The NSCDC, as regulator, and Halogen and other private guard companies, as operators, are not competitors; we are partners in national security. We must continue to share intelligence, standardise training and enforce compliance,” he said.
According to Keshinro, well-trained, properly equipped and regulated private security personnel could serve as a force multiplier for the Corps.
He said the era of security agencies working in isolation was over, adding that effective mining security must incorporate community relations, stakeholder engagement and strategic communication.
Keshinro also noted that the manner in which security agencies communicated risks, managed public perception and built trust with host communities could determine the success or failure of security operations.
He called for greater deployment of technology, data and innovation to tackle emerging threats, including the use of sophisticated equipment by illegal miners and the vandalism of critical infrastructure.
Speaking at the event, Halogen’s Executive Director, Operations and Services, Bosun Sosanya, said the company regularly transmitted intelligence gathered by its field personnel to the NSCDC.
“We have our foot soldiers on the field and they bring reports to us, which we transmit to the NSCDC as our regulator. Through this, they get the information they need,” Sosanya said.
On investment in intelligence gathering, Sosanya advocated stronger information-gathering mechanisms, saying the company had conducted more than 50 community engagements.
He said the engagements were aimed at building trust with residents and encouraging them to provide information that could assist security agencies in preventing crime and protecting mining communities.
