The Nigerian Senate has raised concerns over the involvement of retired military generals in illegal mining operations across the country, warning that their activities pose a significant threat to the nation’s economic diversification efforts.
Speaking at a Senate Committee on Appropriation session in Abuja, Senator Sampson Ekong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, presented a report detailing the illegal mining crisis. His submission was strongly supported by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, who described the situation as an “embarrassing” challenge to Nigeria’s economic progress.
Oshiomhole, a former Edo State Governor, argued that the federal government had been applying double standards in tackling illegal economic activities. He noted that while authorities aggressively combat oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, illegal mining is often overlooked.
“If we have to fight this menace, we need to deploy the Army against illegal miners just as we do against oil thieves,” Oshiomhole asserted. “Illegal mining operations are being controlled by retired generals, and we know them. They use helicopters to cart away gold and other minerals, making billions of dollars while Nigeria suffers.”
He further revealed that during his tenure as APC National Chairman, he had written to former President Muhammadu Buhari, alerting him to the issue and urging decisive action. He described illegal mining as a well-organized operation where armed groups, allegedly backed by influential figures, protect foreign miners engaged in illicit extraction.
“The weapons being used to secure illegal mining sites were procured to protect Chinese and other foreign miners. This is why illegal mining continues to flourish,” he added.
The committee supported Oshiomhole’s call for urgent intervention, urging security agencies to take action. Meanwhile, Ekong recommended a drastic increase in the capital budget for the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, proposing N539 billion instead of the N9 billion initially allocated. He justified this by highlighting the ministry’s ability to generate N37 billion in revenue despite inadequate funding.
In a related development, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Army, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua, called for the removal of the military and security institutions from the envelope budgeting system to ensure adequate funding for defense operations.
The Senate’s revelations have reignited concerns over Nigeria’s struggle to regulate its solid minerals sector and prevent
