Tinubu To ECOWAS: Declare Resource Theft, Illegal Mining International Crimes

…As EFCC Boss Calls For Stronger Regional Front Against Trans-Border Corruption

President Bola Tinubu has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to declare resource theft, including illegal mining and mineral smuggling, as international crimes threatening the region’s stability and prosperity.

Tinubu, who made the appeal at the 7th Annual General Assembly of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), held at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, warned that illicit exploitation of natural resources is fueling insecurity and underdevelopment across the subregion.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the President lamented that despite several reforms and cross-border collaborations, illegal financial flows and resource looting have continued to undermine national economies.

“Even now, illicit outflows remain an odious miasma. Stealing of mineral resources is on the rise, fueling the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, as well as violent crimes like kidnapping and banditry,” Akume said.

He noted that the unchecked plundering of West Africa’s mineral wealth not only deprives countries of legitimate revenue but also sustains criminal enterprises that threaten peace and governance.

“The time has come for ECOWAS to classify resource theft, illegal mining, and mineral smuggling as international crimes that endanger regional security. The world must unite against trade in stolen minerals from West Africa,” the President declared.

In his remarks, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, stressed the need for stronger regional cooperation among anti-corruption bodies to combat trans-border crimes, money laundering, and the illicit flow of proceeds from resource theft.

He noted that corruption and economic crimes have evolved beyond national boundaries, requiring intelligence-driven collaboration and joint enforcement mechanisms within ECOWAS.

The conference, themed “A United ECOWAS Against Corruption: Strengthening Regional Collaboration for Asset Recovery and Exchange of Information,” drew participation from anti-graft chiefs, ECOWAS officials, development partners, and civil society groups across the subregion.