The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, says generals who retired from the military are behind illegal mining across the country.
He made the allegation when the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Senator Sampson Ekong, submitted his 2025 budget report before the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
The former Edo state governor said the country’s efforts to diversify its economy would remain a mirage if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration failed to address the issue of illegal mining.
“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 did a letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari on the matter when he was in office.
This is because a team that I sent to go and conduct the primary somewhere, reported back to me, the challenge of conducting primary elections in Zamfara because of the illegal miners.
If we have to fight this menace, we need to deploy the Army even to kill anyone who is involved in the illegal pumping of oil. We should also deploy JTFs, comprising the Army, Police, Air force, against them.”
The panel agreed with the submissions of Oshiomhole and urged various security agencies to take up the challenge.
The chairman of the panel said members had unanimously agreed to drastically increase the budget of the Ministry of Solid Minerals.