Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that retired military generals are the key players behind illegal mining activities in Nigeria.
Oshiomhole made this statement during the presentation of the 2025 budget report by Senator Sampson Ekong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, before the Senate Committee on Appropriations. He emphasized the need for decisive action to curb the menace, which, according to him, poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts.
The former Edo State governor called for the deployment of a Joint Task Force (JTF), comprising the Army, Police, and Air Force, to address the issue effectively. He warned that failure to tackle illegal mining would undermine the progress of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in steering the economy away from over-reliance on oil.
“Illegal mining in this country is being perpetrated by retired generals, and we all know them. This is not a secret; everyone in Africa knows them,” Oshiomhole said. He revealed that he had previously written to former President Muhammadu Buhari about the matter, particularly after reports from a team he sent to conduct party primaries in Zamfara State highlighted the challenges posed by illegal miners.
He further called for stringent measures, including military action, against illegal mining operations, similar to the approach taken to combat illegal oil bunkering.
The Senate panel, in agreement with Oshiomhole, urged security agencies to take immediate and decisive steps to address the issue and protect the nation’s mineral resources.
