Senate Suspects Retired Generals in Illegal Mining, Demands Urgent Action 

The Nigerian Senate raises concerns that retired military generals could be involved in illegal mining activities and urges immediate government intervention to tackle the issue.

The Senate has claimed that certain retired military generals could be involved in illegal mining activities across Nigeria, hindering the nation’s efforts to diversify its economy.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, raised this allegation during a budget presentation by Senator Sampson Ekong, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development. This took place before the Senate Committee on Appropriation.

Oshiomhole voiced his frustration with the Federal Government’s lack of action and called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to take decisive measures to resolve the illegal mining crisis.

He likened the situation to the government’s strong actions against illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta and urged for comparable enforcement in the mining sector.

He stated that “retired generals are responsible for the ongoing illegal mining throughout the country, and we know who they are. They use helicopters to transport gold, earning billions of dollars while causing suffering for the nation.”

He also disclosed that while serving as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he had informed former President Muhammadu Buhari about the situation by writing to him. In his correspondence, he described how illegal miners were arming local groups and employing advanced equipment to exploit resources.

He stated, “This problem has been ignored for far too long. We have the data and surveys identifying where these activities are occurring. It’s time for the government to deploy Joint Task Forces, as it has done in addressing oil theft.”

In the meantime, Senator Ekong put forward his committee’s recommendations for the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development’s 2025 budget. The proposal included raising the capital allocation from N9 billion, as initially assigned by the executive branch, to N539 billion in order to highlight and harness the sector’s potential.