The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that retired military generals are heavily involved in illegal mining activities across Nigeria.
Speaking during the presentation of the 2025 budget report by Senator Sampson Ekong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Oshiomhole expressed grave concern about the implications of unchecked illegal mining on the nation’s economy.
The former governor of Edo State emphasized that without decisive action from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, efforts to diversify the economy would remain futile.
“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 even wrote a letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari on this issue during his tenure,” Oshiomhole stated.
He revealed that the problem is not new, citing challenges during his tenure as APC chairman when illegal miners obstructed primary elections in Zamfara State.
To combat the issue, Oshiomhole called for military intervention, advocating for the deployment of the Army, Joint Task Forces (JTFs), and other security agencies to address illegal mining and oil theft with the same intensity as counter-insurgency efforts.
In agreement with Oshiomhole’s stance, the Senate panel urged security agencies to prioritize this challenge and unanimously resolved to increase the budget allocation for the Ministry of Solid Minerals to strengthen regulatory and enforcement capacity.