
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Adams Oshiomhole, has commended the Tinubu-led administration for appointing a minister concerned with stopping illegal mining but called for stronger measures.
“I would like to see government deploying the same amount of force in protecting our solid minerals and dealing with those who are involved in illegal mining just like illegal bunkering, with the same force of JTF to deal with anyone involved… because the people involved are powerful, only superior power can neutralise them.”
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, Oshiomhole clarified his stance on the illegal exploitation of Nigeria’s solid minerals, stating that his comments were misinterpreted by the media. He highlighted concerns about the unchecked activities of foreign and local actors involved in illegal mining.
“I think sometimes the media takes statements out of context,” Oshiomhole said, stating that he meant “some retired Generals” were involved and not all as was allegedly misconstrued in some parts of the media. He explained that discussions within the Senate Committee on solid minerals had revealed that foreign nationals were carting away gold and other resources while Nigeria struggled to benefit from its solid minerals sector. He also noted that while solid minerals generate revenue, much of it is lost due to illegal activities.
“It is absolutely impossible for anyone, particularly foreigners far away outside the African continent, coming to Nigeria, locating a site, not being geologists, and they go straight to where they can find solid minerals and they start mining it and they take it away,” he said. He stressed that the government was failing to harness the full potential of the sector and that there was knowledge of those behind the illicit trade.
Oshiomhole also refuted claims that he had accused all retired generals of involvement in illegal mining, stating,
“At no time did I say ‘retired generals’. I have many friends who are retired who are suffering and can’t change batteries in their car. They retire as pure military officers and never had any political exposure.” However, he maintained that some retired generals were involved in illegal mining and that the government had not applied the same level of force used in protecting oil resources in the Niger Delta.
He recounted an encounter with a retired general who had served as a returning officer during an APC primary election. The general had warned him about the connection between illegal mining and organised crime.
“He said, ‘Adams, you are worried about the primaries’, but what he has seen is far more serious than that…those kidnappers in the first instance, in his own words are in the services of some very powerful retired generals and they use a chopper.” The general had detailed how weapons were being dropped off for trained civilians who protected illegal mining sites and, in some cases, used the arms for and kidnapping and terrorism.
Oshiomhole said he took the retired general’s concerns seriously and presented a written summary of the issue to then-President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I gave it to the then President Muhammadu Buhari and I said sir, go through it, it is self-explanatory… my advice is that you can call him and he can give you more graphic details about what he saw and what he knows.”
Regarding the current administration, Oshiomhole avoided criticising President Bola Tinubu directly but emphasised the need for more action.
“There is no need to talk about the present government. If there is a disease that has been there and I spoke to that disease and I spoke at the time I became aware of the disease and I went on to name my source of information and the step I took as a Nigerian to see if the then power can deal with it.… My point is I did not come to Abuja to lament, I came to the Senate to listen, to hear cries, hear stories and to act on them.”
Oshiomhole also warned that ethnic and political affiliations often hinder efforts to combat crime.
“Part of the complexity of dealing with criminality in Nigeria is the ethnic dimension that is evoked and sometimes compounded by political affiliation… and once they evoke the ethnic dimension and sometimes compounded by religion and then summarised by political affiliation, the debate is closed, everybody becomes blind…, but I think that the weapons that are used to protect these illegal miners, I don’t think those martials are so well equipped with such weapons.”
Addressing the impeachment of 18 local government chairmen and their deputies in Edo State, he dismissed accusations that the APC was undermining democracy.
“If councilors under the constitution meet in full freedom and they raise a motion for whatever reason in exercise of their constitutional duty as provided for in the Edo State Local Government Act and they impeach a part or a whole, how is that a problem?” He noted that both the impeached officials and their replacements were from the PDP, questioning how the APC was involved.
“The governor cannot stop opposition councilors from impeaching opposition chairmen and replacing them with their own opposition house leader as the acting chair, so what is the problem there?” asked.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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