Onoja: We Must Cut Funding Sources to Terrorists, Deny Them Freedom of Actions

Minister of State for Defence, Senator Zubairu Ahmed, has emphasized the urgent need to cut off funding sources for terrorists and deny them the means to perpetrate violence against innocent Nigerians. During a visit by members of the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) to his office, Onoja pledged to continue dismantling illegal mining cartels and disrupting illicit financing linked to banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.

He stressed that illegal mining is not only an economic and environmental menace but also a potential source of funding for criminal and terrorist groups. "It's not just about picking up weapons and fighting bandits or kidnappers. We must ask: how do the people in those forests feed? How do they get money?" he questioned. Onoja believes that disrupting the illicit flow of funds to criminal groups will weaken their operational capacity and make banditry and terrorism less attractive.

He stated that the Mining Marshals have adopted intelligence-led operations to identify, arrest, investigate, and prosecute offenders, ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice. The Mining Marshals will maintain a presence in mining communities as part of their deterrence strategy, despite limitations in manpower and logistics.

"I do not take your role for granted. The sanitized mining sector of our dream will be achieved through collaboration, and the major stakeholder in that collaboration is the media," Onoja concluded.