Senate
Senate Alleges Retired Military Generals’ Involvement in Illegal Mining
The Nigerian Senate has made a startling revelation, alleging that retired military generals are heavily involved in illegal mining activities across the country.
This claim was made during a Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development meeting, where Senator Sampson Ekong presented a report to the Senate Committee on Appropriation ¹.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, strongly criticized the government’s lax approach to combating illegal mining.
He described it as a double standard, comparing it to the aggressive measures taken against oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.
Oshiomhole expressed concern over the economic implications of these illegal mining activities, revealing that gold is being extracted and smuggled out of the country using helicopters.
This illicit trade is generating billions of dollars for those involved.
The senator called for the deployment of military forces to address the crisis in the solid minerals sector and safeguard Nigeria’s resources.
He emphasized the need to treat illegal mining with the same level of urgency as oil bunkering, urging the government to take decisive action against powerful individuals, including retired generals, allegedly behind the operations.
Oshiomhole shared details of past efforts to address the issue, including a letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to investigate the activities of these retired generals.
He explained that illegal miners have been “weaponized” by influential figures to secure territories and facilitate their operations.
The senator stressed that the government has comprehensive data on the locations of these illegal mining activities but has failed to act decisively.
He urged the federal government to replicate the aggressive tactics used in tackling oil bunkering in the mining sector, noting that the same level of force and determination should be applied to bring those involved to justice.