Retired military generals are reportedly behind illegal mining activities across Nigeria, according to Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior.
Oshiomhole made this claim during the submission of the 2025 budget report by Senator Sampson Ekong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
Highlighting the challenge, Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State and member of the Appropriations Committee, warned that Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts would fail unless the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu addresses the issue of illegal mining.
He stated, “The ongoing illegal mining across the country is being carried out by retired generals, and we know them. Yes, we know them. Nobody in Africa doesn’t know them. I did a letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari on the matter when he was in office.
“This is because a team that I sent to go and conduct the primary somewhere, reported back to me, the challenge of conducting primary elections in Zamfara because of the illegal miners.
“If we have to fight this menace, we need to deploy the Army even to kill anyone who is involved in illegal pumping of oil. We should also deploy JTFs, comprising the Army, Police, Air Force, against them.”
The panel backed Oshiomhole’s stance and called on security agencies to confront the issue. The committee also decided to significantly increase the budget for the Ministry of Solid Minerals to address the challenge.
