The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, said on Monday that elites in the country are frustrating the efforts of security agencies to arrest illegal miners.
This was as the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals, Jonathan Gbefwi, said the country was losing $9bn annually to illegal mining.
They spoke at the investigative hearing organised by the committee in Abuja.
The CDS, who was represented by Air Vice Marshal Nnaemeka Ilo said, “The involvement of the elites in it, we can’t tell, but we know that most of the time when we catch these foreigners, they will tell us that they have connections. I don’t want to say some things, but sometimes you hand these people over, and the next thing they’re released.
“Talking of illegal mining, I’m going to talk about how the military sees it. There are so many other stakeholders that I want to talk about. From our various operations and the statistics that we have, we notice that, first of all, the framework guiding mining in Nigeria is very, very good. It needs to be strengthened. Why do I say so, sir?
“In 2018 or so, during the last administration, there was a ban on illegal mining in South Africa, South Africa, and Nigeria, which even established a gold mine zone. Despite that ban, mining licences were being issued to people to mine in that zone. So the strengthening of the institutional framework is very key.”
He called for tough sanctions for those involved in the act, saying, “Anybody caught in this illegal mining must be dealt with decisively and examples should be made publicly for others to know. The third aspect we noted is poverty. In these areas where this illegal mining takes place, the people are poor. Virtually, lack of education is also part of it. Most of them that we get, have no formal education.”
Also at the hearing, the representative of the Nigerian Army, Col. Tajudeen Lamidi, said the Nigerian Army had arrested 387 individuals in connection with illegal mining.
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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who was represented by the House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, described illegal mining as a growing socio-economic challenge in Nigeria, noting that it had led to the loss of ecosystems and increased poverty levels, especially among peasant farmers.
“A disturbing issue, which makes this investigative hearing very critical is the fact that various mining communities in Nigeria live in agonising conditions, economically and socially, arising from years of neglect, and various deprivations and severe environmental degradation, air and water pollution, arising from unsafe mining practices by illegal miners.
“The impact of the unprecedented illegal mining across Nigeria has been devastating as farmlands, crops, and economic trees are not only destroyed by mining activities but reduce their benefit and values to the residents,” he said.
The chairman of the committee, Gbefwi, stressed that illegal miners had worked against the economy of the country, preventing it from making the most of its mineral resources.
He said, “The parliament is deeply worried about the loss of revenue through unregulated and illicit mining operations with the Federal Government disclosing that unlawful mining costs the country $9bn each year, with the only money coming from a three per cent royalty paid by the few licensed miners.
“This public hearing is aimed at investigating illegal mining activities, under-reporting wins (extract e-products) by mining and quarry license operators, utilisation of financial interventions in the Nigerian solid minerals sector amounting to trillions of naira within the solid mineral sector and also the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act (Amendment Bill) and Nigeria solid Minerals Development Company (establishment bill), respectively.”
Gbefwi, a member of the Social Democratic Party representing Karu/Keffi/Kokona Federal Constituency, Nasarawa State, also noted that “The unregulated exploitation of our natural resources jeopardises the sustainability of the mineral sector, leading to environmental degradation and revenue loss that could otherwise benefit our communities and nation as a whole.
“It is imperative that we take, as a matter of urgency, decisive steps and necessary action to address this issue and ensure that our solid mineral sector operates within the framework of the law, protecting our natural resources for future generations.”