Despite official denial, locals speak of secret mining deals, military blind spots, and a decade of underground resource exploitation by insurgent group Boko Haram in Borno, writes ISAH OJO
It is no longer news that Borno, one of the North Eastern states, in the last 14 years witnessed extreme terror attacks by the Boko Haram militia, which displaced millions, claimed lives and destruction of government and private properties.
While the trend gained global attention, placing Nigeria in number six position in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, the blame game of the root cause continues, with many opinions faulting it on the premise of religious extremism, political game, high illiteracy, and international influence.
Amid these arguments, less attention has been given to the question of what happens to the abundant Gold, lead, tin, and other raw resources in Borno while the insurgency lasts and what Nigeria hopes to pick as remnants of these natural resources as efforts on human resettlement and stabilisation continue in the region.
Natural resources
Checks by The PUNCH revealed that there is uranium deposit in Mandara mountain, which stretches across the Nigeria-Cameroon border, a natural gas reserve in the Chad Basin area, particularly in Magumeri and Kukawa, a limestone deposit located at the Gwoza Hills in southern Borno, marble in Hàwul, granite and tin in Biu, sodium carbonate, gold, lead and zinc deposits across Bama, Kaga, Monguno and Damboa areas.
Unfortunately, these locations have remained the enclaves of terrorists over the years and have been deserted until recently, when the state government began rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced families as peace gradually returned to a few of the communities.
Speaking with the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Prof. Garba Ngala, he described Monguno as a land of opportunities with abundant natural resources.
Citing a recent experience, he said, “An instance happened when we were drilling a bore hole, in our permanent site in Monguno, and then, we discovered that the sand that is coming out from the ground is coloured. I asked the Head of Department of Science Laboratory Technology to take the sand and carry out some tests with it. What we discovered in that sand will surprise you. Most of the water that comes out, if you leave it overnight, you see it becomes oily. What does that mean? It means there is something underground.”
“That takes me to what I said earlier, that there are unexploited opportunities in that area. Personally, I know there is metal in that ground, I know there is oil and gas, an abundance of them, and so many minerals,” Ngala said
Before the insurgency, locals confirmed that in some areas like Bayo, Shani, and Biu, they often engaged in mining activities, but were forced to dump the sites when the heat of attacks became intense.
“Before Boko Haram, our people did local mining in Hawul,” Alkali Muhammad, a resident of Kukawa, said.
Corroborating Muhammad’s experience, Maryam Mshelia, a resident of Hawul, noted that her family had once depended solely on mining activities, but were forced out of the business after Boko Haram drove them away.
“It is what we do. It was our work aside from farming and fishing but they (Boko Haram) drove us away and took over the location.”
While it is still unclear about the current state of natural resources in this locality, the senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, recently disclosed that Boko Haram fighters in the North East had seized three local government areas in renewed attacks.
“As I am speaking to you now, three of our local governments are under Boko Haram: Gudumbari, Marte and Abadam. That is the truth of it,” he said.
Boko Haram commercialise resources
Most of the environments seized by the group and others in the past are locations with rich natural resources, thus raising the question of what is the current condition of the area in terms of these resources.
While the question continues to beg for an answer, the Borno State Director General, Great Green Wall, Usman Aliyu, unfolded to our correspondent how the insurgents destroyed the environment as a result of possible commercial dealings with locals and woodcutters.
“There is a connection between the people, insurgents and even the military on the extraction of resources in the areas. Let me take charcoal as a case study, people still go into the bush and collaborate with them in harvesting charcoal. If not so, how will these guys go into these bushes and spend even a week? If there is no relationship between them, they can’t go there.
“There is a trade by barter between them. On entering the bushes, they buy something and give them. This is the situation with other resources, too.”
He added, “Use Zamfara for instance, you know, there are people exploiting natural resources. Some of these people have a connection with the bandits. What they do is create a chaotic situation in places where there is a concentration of natural resources, making them become a no-go area, so you won’t even know what is there. They go there, exploit the mineral resources and go free, so, it is the same thing as what is happening in North East Nigeria with Borno State a case study.”
Similarly, a military source serving as part of a front-line troop in one of the forests, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that there is a link between the locals and the insurgents in the area of resource extractions and trade.
He said, “To be candid with you, mining is going on in these bushes. In the bush, soldiers are posted to different places and locations, what could be happening in my location may be entirely different from what may be happening in another place.
“Let me share a recent experience about a location where one of my friends was stationed. The place is called Kamuya, a part of Yobe State. When you pass Birnin Giri, this place I am telling you now, there are no soldiers there because whenever they deploy troops there, Boko Haram will dislodge them, that place is one of their strongholds.
“I have a friend who served there, he told us specifically how they came across some people in that axis with some kinds of stones, that even they don’t know the value of those stones. They caught the men with different drugs like tramadol and others, and foodstuff while coming out of the bush, because these military guys could not tell what these stones were. They just allowed the guys to go. It was after they left that someone told them that what they had was valuable.”
Our source, however, claimed that during operations, they saw several spots where “something significant” was extracted from the ground.
“I have come across dredged trenches before, but there are no signs that it is a mineral resource extraction site. But I have come across sites where you will see it obviously, as if something was dug out from the ground. When you see it, even you will know that something was removed there because if you see the holes, they are scattered but concentrated in one location.”
Inquiring about the presence of foreigners operating in the bushes as gold merchants and trainers, another frontline troop member narrated an experience of a coordinated attack that indicated the presence of war experts in the bushes.
“This has happened before, I can recall two or three experiences where soldiers see and even kill white people in the forest. I don’t want to mention the country, but I can tell you, when you see them, you will know they are foreigners. In one attack that I was involved in a few years ago, in our Forward Operation Base in Marte, it was evident that they have foreign trainers in the bushes with them. In that attack, they came with just three Hilux vehicles and bikes, wearing black, and they saw us, and we saw them from afar. Our CCTV captured them when they were coming. We have a first gate and a second gate. When they came, they stopped at the first gate, they didn’t do anything, they just stood there. So one of them came out and stood on top of their Hilux, he watched us while we were also watching from a distance. The appearance shows they are probably ISWAP, and soldiers know that those categories of insurgents are the trained ones. We were all on red alert till the attack started. That very day, I lost a very good friend, the only soldier who was killed in that attack. They could not dislodge us, so they retracted,” the source explained.
The source added, “Do you know that there are locations that even the military cannot go, because of all these kinds of things (mining). Ask yourself, why is it that we are always in the camp, and Boko Haram will be the one to come to us; we will not go out to look for them. It is an order from above.”
A retired military general who previously served in the state also confirmed the presence of foreigners in the forest, but was silent on whether or not they are involved in the mining business.
“What we cannot rule out is the fact that foreigners come to assist the insurgents,” the ex-military officer said.
Govt denies mining activities
When contacted, the state government said it lacked knowledge of mining activities in the forest, while claiming the news of Boko Haram mining resources is a rumour with no verifiable fact.
The General Manager of the Borno State Mining Ltd, Aminu Chamalwa, said the ban on mining activities in the state has been effective, and the state cannot say mining is going on anywhere within its boundary.
He said, “It is a rumour that Boko Haram is mining our resources. You have not seen it, likewise me, and I have no business to do with them, so for now, I cannot tell you whether it is true or not; it is just hearsay because none of us has access to Sambisa. We have records of where mining has been taking place, and Sambisa was not included, so whatever is in Sambisa, it is only those who are there that can tell. So I don’t think, today, anyone can come out and say, this is exactly what is happening there.
“We have not least 38 companies that have mining titles in the state from the Mining Cadastre office before the ban on mining activities. Some of them, as far back as the 70s, have a license. So, if someone has license as far back as the 70s, what can you tell him today?
“They have been mining since then, it is now that attention is going there. This is why you are hearing many things attached to it, if not, mining has been going on for a long time, even before the coming of this administration.”
“However, currently, those who have the license, the embargo placed by the state government is telling on them. So, those with license, as I speak to you, are not working, but those with knowledge of how to do mining, especially artisan and small-scale miners, they are the ones who currently mine in hiding.”
The GM added, “The governor is not saying he has information about mineral exploitation in the state, but the security people have it, they know how minerals have been exploited in the state. What the governor is concerned with now is that what has passed has passed, so let us look into what the Solid minerals in the state can contribute to its IGR.”
According to him, “before now, most mining has been taking place in the Southern part of the state, like Bayo, Kwarya, Shani, Hawul, Biu and Askira Uba. Sambisa spans across some local governments like Konduga, Bama, Gwoza, Damboa, Askira Uba, so if truly, anything is truly happening in Sambisa, definitely one of those in this locations should help us to know.”
However, efforts by The PUNCH to get the identities of the 38 companies with mining titles since the 1970s proved abortive.
Corroborating the state government’s position, retired General Abdullahi Ishaq, a former Commander of 8 Provost Group of the Army in Monguno, Borno state between 2016 and 2018, confirmed that insurgents are not engaged in mining activities.
“The insurgent’s motive is different, it is not because of mining. This is why it is a bit different from what is happening in Zamfara, where people even alleged that helicopters fly in with arms and leave. That is Illegal mining,” Ishaq said.
He added, “Mining is on the exclusive list of the federal government. In a situation where there is something called illegal mining, there is a tendency that there will be insecurity because illegal miners will use the Illegal money from their work to buy arms, and arm their guards.”
Meanwhile, as the insurgency gradually retracted and fleeing residents began to return to their homes, in parts like Bama, Kukawa, and other places, there are indications that some locals have resumed mining operations.
Miners resume amid ban
The PUNCH investigation reveals that despite the ban, mining activities are still ongoing in the bushes around Bayo and Kwarya with the knowledge of security operatives
“You and I are from Nigeria. You know how the military works; they take orders. Even if a military man is here and they are doing business there, he may turn his back because that is not his own business, until they say, hey, something is going on there before he will even turn his attention to that side. You are a media person, you must have heard of the military’s Involvement in mineral exploitation. If they can go into mining, it simply means they know what is happening,” an eyewitness told The PUNCH.
The eyewitness added, “I am saying this because you see that axis (boundary) of Borno and Gombe, you will see so many things, even the locals, their used to give us information, particularly in the Bayo local government.
“As the rainy season is approaching now, if it rains in Bayo or Kwarya, you will see people packing monoxide and processing it. Those resources you see are close to uranium, but it has to be processed. It is a radioactive material, but those using it know their application. You have to trigger it before it works like uranium,” a local source disclosed
However, the state mining company, during the interview, said it is yet to verify if resources were tampered with in some of the localities that were previously occupied by insurgents during the crisis, but it’s currently making effort to ensure that illegal miners do not resume operations
“Since my appointment, we are yet to go out for any field work, I have been to Bama, Hawul, Biu, Shani, just for advocacy visit with the traditional rulers to let them know about us as the new agency and that soon we will go into full operation,” the General Manager of the organisation said.(Punch)
