Security concerns have persisted in light of the fact that mineral resources are being extracted in some areas of the country without proper authorization from the statutory regulatory bodies.
This is related to the fact that criminal groups have killed or kidnapped a number of Nigerians and even foreign people at mining sites during the past few years.
Similarly, miners tend to operate without guidelines, posing risks to the environment and even killing operators, because their actions are not supervised or regulated by competent authorities.
Banditry and violent local conflicts have been traced back to illegal gold and resource mining by politically connected individuals and Chinese corporations in certain regions of Nigeria, specifically the North West, North Central, and to a lesser extent the South West.
It has been reported that as much as 80% of mining in the North West region is conducted illegally and artisanally by local inhabitants, posing security risks to nearby settlements.
The mining of virtually untapped mineral riches in various regions of the country is the root cause of violence in some communities. This is especially true of the mining of gold, which has strategic relevance and economic worth.
According to accounts, about 500 children died during a lead poisoning outbreak in Zamfara State roughly ten years ago, in 2010.
Because authorities believe unlawful mining to be the root cause of a recent uptick in violence and kidnapping in the area, the federal government had already banned mining in the state.
In addition to the safety concerns, the collapse of illegal mining sites has caused the deaths of several people in Nigeria.
The SAREWAHAUSA reports that in August of this year, four illegal miners were killed after a mining site collapsed in the Yadagungume region of Kogo Kadage village in the Ningi Local Government region of Bauchi State.
The event reportedly took place as the miners were working to remove lead from the ground.
The miners were illegally digging for lead, a mineral that may be found in the vicinity, when suddenly one of the holes they dug caved in.
In the Kuje Area Council of the FCT, illicit mining activity recently triggered a landslide that killed around 30 persons.
This regrettable turn of events was shared on September 8 during the first-ever meeting between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and the chairs of the six area councils.
While promising to meet with his counterpart in Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, to begin discussions on the elimination of illicit mining in the region, Wike was surprised by the development and urged the council chiefs to form up a surveillance task force in their districts to monitor mining activities.
A group of 13 Chinese nationals were detained in Ilorin, Kwara State, on July 14 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for their alleged involvement in illicit mining.
The operators in Kwara State have multiple illicit mining sites spread over the state’s 16 LGAs, according to a covert investigation into their operations.
Barely four weeks ago, 3,500 illegal miners in the Bali local government area of the state were detained by the Taraba State Task Force on the Enforcement of Ban on Illegal Mining and Deforestation.
According to the chairman of the task team, Brigadier General Jeremiah Faransa (rtd), the illicit miners apprehended were from all over the country, including Mali, Senegal, Chad, Zamfara, and other regions.
He claimed the state was flush with untapped natural resources that could benefit not only the state, but the entire country.
The Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State is home to the Rumuokarali/ Rumualogu hamlet, where on September 1 operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, detained 34 people on suspicion of engaging in illegal mining.
The arrests were made possible by credible intelligence and the efforts of the patrol team of the NSCDC Sold Minerals Unit, the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel, and the Ministerial Task Force on illegal mining, as revealed by Basil Igwebueze, Commandant, Rivers State Command, NSCDC, while parading the suspects.
Elder Ben Okezie, a security writer, told DAILY POST on Saturday that the dire economic condition in Nigeria is driving certain citizens to indulge in illicit mining.
He said that terrorists based in the nearby woodland were to blame for some of the issues. This is why problems like the Boko Haram insurgency are unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.
These thugs are all over the north. I can tell you that some people are getting rich from camping out near mineral deposits.
We will continue to see problems like illicit mining unless the federal government takes a hard stance against all of these terrorist supporters.
We have been told that the sponsors have been discovered numerous times, particularly during the previous administration, but we still don’t know who they are.
The bandits aren’t just hanging around in the woods. They’re keeping some individuals and activities safe. With President Bola Tinubu at the helm, I have no doubt that this problem will be resolved once and for all.
We’re starving to death as foreigners come in and grab our resources. Are you telling me that the illegal mining that is occurring in many regions of the country now is unknown to some segments of the government, notably the previous administration?
See, all these things will end when the government cares about the people and everything is running smoothly.
When people are in pain, they often resort to desperate measures just to stay alive. The government must provide employment opportunities for our young people and make sure that all children who should be in school really are. Just make sure the economy is doing well, and this will all blow over by itself.
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