Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), short of naming names, have strongly alleged that powerful elites were sponsoring illegal mining to strip Nigeria of its mineral wealth.
The stakeholders said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
They warned that the situation could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s economic diversification policy, aimed at enhancing the solid minerals sector to contribute significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
It would be recalled that Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, had alleged that retired military officers were involved in illegal mining, using sophisticated machinery and procuring arms for the activity.
He said that they use choppers to transport minerals out of the country, making billions of dollars in the process.
He added that the arms procured to secure illegal mining sites were also used for banditry, kidnapping, and other criminal activities.
The Executive Director of Renevyln Development Initiative (RDI), Philip Dakpor, stated that powerful interests were behind illegal mining, depriving Nigeria of revenue from the sector, which required deliberate action to address the menace
“There is no doubt that powerful interests are behind illegal mining across the country, so Comrade Adams Oshiomhole may be right in pointing fingers. However, his allegations lack the political will needed to address the issue.
“This is because he said the perpetrators are known yet no names were mentioned, and no one has been arrested. If those behind the menace are known and can’t be named and arrested then it shows something even deeper.
“ It is either collusion at certain quarters in government or total negligence, but I suspect it is collusion. Some people in government are benefiting maximally from illegal mining and so choose not to halt the practice, “ he said.
An activist, Dr Abdullahi Jabi, alleged that traditional rulers were conniving with illegal miners, mostly expatriates, to cart away Nigeria’s mineral wealth.
Jabi, the Chairman, North Central Zone, Campaign for Democracy, Human Rights Advocacy, Civil Society of Nigeria, said that locals in mining communities aid illegal miners in perpetrating the act.
“These activities have been on over the years and government did not pay attention to it, until it got escalated with illegal expatriates coming to the country with machineries.
“They are using residents and citizens within those communities, who show them the way, and then connive with traditional rulers to perpetrate these wounds against the states, “ he said.
He described the situation as complex, resulting from factors such as the negligence of constitutional duties by political leaders and public office holders.
“ It is a network that is critical to destroy. Its not as easy as you see it, because the high and the mighty are behind it.
“This is because a poor man, who cannot feed, who has no energy, cannot go to exploration of minerals resources that is almost 200 or 500 miles into the mother earth.
“Who will give him the equipment? Who will provide him with security to do that, “ he said.
The activist listed poor governance, weak leadership, and a deteriorating economic situation as factors further making the sector vulnerable to expatriates, whom he alleged were supported by some leaders.
According to him, to address the situation, a holistic legal framework must be established to ensure that the solid minerals sector received the required attention.
He emphasised the need for adequate logistics to enable the government to implement strict measures for the benefit of the people, rather than a few individuals who were exploiting the nation’s resources.
It will be recalled that the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, during the Ministry’s budget defence in 2023, had also alleged that illegal miners were sponsoring banditry in the affected states.
He said that efforts were ongoing to identify the perpetrators, adding that various strategies, including both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches were being deployed to address the situation.
