Former Edo State Governor and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that retired military generals are at the forefront of illegal mining operations across Nigeria.

During a Senate Committee on Appropriation meeting in Abuja, where Senator Sampson Ekong presented a report on solid minerals development, Oshiomhole decried the unchecked illegal mining activities, describing them as a significant threat to Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts. He urged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action to address the problem.

Oshiomhole criticized the federal government for what he called a double standard in tackling resource theft. While the government has deployed Joint Military Task Forces (JTFs) to combat oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, illegal mining operations involving retired generals and foreign collaborators continue without similar intervention.

“If we can deploy the Army and JTF to combat oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, we must also deploy the same force to tackle illegal miners,” Oshiomhole stated. “Retired generals are behind these operations, weaponizing locals to protect their interests and smuggle gold worth billions of dollars out of the country.”

He disclosed that he had previously raised the issue with former President Muhammadu Buhari, warning that illegal miners are well-armed and operate with the support of foreign actors. Oshiomhole called for immediate action to safeguard Nigeria’s solid minerals sector from further exploitation.

The Senate Committee echoed Oshiomhole’s concerns and urged security agencies to address illegal mining with the same intensity used to combat oil-related crimes. They emphasized that tackling illegal mining is essential for realizing Nigeria’s economic diversification goals and ensuring sustainable national growth.