THE Chairman Senate Committee on Interior, Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that some retired military generals might be responsible for illegal mining activities across Nigeria.
He made the allegation during a budget presentation by the senate committee chairman on Solid Minerals Development, Sampson Ekong, to the committee on appropriation.
“The ongoing illegal mining across the country is being carried out by retired generals, and we know them. They use helicopters to cart away gold, making billions of dollars, while the country suffers,” he said with naming names.
Oshiomhole, a senator from Edo North senatorial district, expressed frustration with the federal government’s inaction to deal decisively with the menace which continues to undermine the country’s efforts to diversify its economy.
He, therefore called on President Bola Tinubu to address the alleged illegal mining activities by the military generals.
He stressed that the situation compares to the government’s robust measures against illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, urging similar enforcement in the mining sector.
He hinted that during his tenure as national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he wrote to former President Muhammadu Buhari about the situation.
Oshiomhole said he detailed how illegal miners arm local groups and use sophisticated equipment to exploit resources.
“This issue has been left unchecked for too long. We have the data and surveys showing where these activities are happening. It’s time for the government to deploy Joint Task Forces, just as it has done in tackling oil theft,” the former Edo State governor and labour leader added.
Meanwhile, Ekong presented his committee’s recommendation for the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development’s 2025 budget.
It showed that the committee proposed an increase from the N9 billion capital vote initially allocated by the executive to N539 billion.
The ICIR had investigated a series of illegal mining activities across major states in the country and how it undermined the well-being of the citizens and hamper economic activity.
In one of its reports, it documented how the Civil Society Coalition on Nigeria’s Mining Sector had called on the federal government to prosecute sponsors of illegal mining in the country and stop giving them preferential treatment.
In particular, The ICIR did a two-part investigation on illegal gold mining in Osun and its implications on the environment and the health of the locals.
The report highlighted the connivance of traditional rulers with illegal miners.
Who doesn’t know that the military boys are behind all these illegalities including bunkering in Nigeria?
But, who will arrest them?
The military boys are behind all the lawlessness in Nigeria.