Nigeria loses $9bn to illegal mining annually – Reps 

The House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals has alleged that Nigeria lost about nine billion dollar annually to unlawful mining, with the only revenue coming from a paltry three percent in royalties paid by a few licensed miners.

This is just as the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa disclosed that those involved in illegal mining have connections, and often brag to have links with those at the top, urging strong political will by the government to bring down the cartel behind illegal mining.

The Nigeria Army however said it has arrested 387 individuals in connection with illegal mining.

Speaking at a public hearing on Monday, Chairman of the Committee on Solid Minerals, Jonathan Gaza Gbewfi said that the development had hampered the country’s ability to maximize the benefits from its mineral resources, adding that the negative impacts of illegal mining has led to insecurity and conflicts over control of mining sites and their resources.

“This public hearing is aimed to investigating illegal mining activities, under-reporting wins (extract E-Products) by mining and quarry license operators, utilization of financial interventions in the Nigerian solid minerals sector amounting to trillions of naira within the solid mineral sector and also the Nigeria minerals and Mining Act (Amendment Bill) and Nigeria solid Minerals Development Company (establishment bill) respectively.

“The leadership of the 10th House of Assembly has found it expedient and a sense of duty to carry out these investigative hearings to necessitate transparency and accountability, public participation, policy formation and identify challenges and solutions that will ultimately lead to the revamping of our solid mineral sector.As we are all aware, illegal mining poses substantial risks to our nation’s economy, environment, and security.

“The unregulated exploitation of our natural resources jeopardizes the sustainability of the mineral sector, leading to environmental degradation and revenue loss that could otherwise benefit our communities and nation as a whole.

On why illegal mining have continued despite move by the federal government to curtail it, Director of Operations, Air Vice Marshal Nnaemeka Ignatius Ilo, who represented the Chief of Defence staff said that most people involved in the process have connections.

“The involvement of the elites in it, we can’t tell, but we know that most of the time when we catch these foreigners, they will tell us that they have connections. I don’t want to say some things, but sometimes you hand these people over and the next thing you see, they’re released…

“Then one thing we notice also is that, whether it’s coincidence or what, we can’t say, but we notice that insecurity thrives where this illegal mining is happening. Someone once said that the issue of banditry and terrorism is like a smokescreen to stop the government and the military from dealing decisively with these people. I can’t for sure ascertain that fact, but I know full well that there is a correlation between insecurity and illegal mining,” he said.