The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, says several foreign nationals apprehended for illegal mining have been handed over to the Office of the National Security Adviser for further investigation.
The investigation is focused on their possible links to terrorism financing.
Alake, who made this known on Friday in Abuja, did not specify the number of foreign nationals being investigated by the office of the NSA.
The minister said however that over 327 persons, including foreign nationals, have been apprehended for illegal mining across the country.
According to him, 142 of them are facing prosecution.
He said that the ministry had revoked about 3,000 mining licences as part of effort to sanitize the sector.
Alake said revenue generated from solid minerals rose from ₦6 billion in 2023 to over ₦70 billion as of December 2025.
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