Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, has accused retired military generals of being behind illegal mining operations across the country.
Oshiomhole made the claim during a presentation by Senator Sampson Ekong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, who was submitting the 2025 budget report to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
The former Edo State governor warned that the country’s efforts to diversify its economy would be futile if the government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, does not tackle the illegal mining issue.
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 even wrote a letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari about this issue when he was in office.”
Oshiomhole explained that his team had faced challenges organizing primary elections in Zamfara due to the influence of illegal miners in the region. He emphasized the need for stronger action, suggesting the deployment of the military and Joint Task Forces (JTFs) to combat the illegal activities.
The committee members agreed with Oshiomhole’s assessment and called for security agencies to take more decisive action. They also expressed unanimous support for significantly increasing the budget for the Ministry of Solid Minerals to address the issue.
