Action for Economic Development (AED), a civil society organization, has called for a comprehensive investigation into the 387 suspected illegal miners recently apprehended by the military, to curb criminality in the mining sector.
Bilkisu Bello, the group’s Convener, made this appeal in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Bello lauded the armed forces, led by Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa, for their support in tackling illegal mining activities alongside other security agencies.
She noted that the Defence Headquarters confirmed the arrests during a meeting with the House Committee on Solid Minerals on Monday.
Bello expressed concern over the continued plundering of the country’s resources by criminals amid the prevailing hardships faced by Nigerians. She emphasized the need for a thorough investigation to uncover those behind the illegal miners.
According to Bello, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) reported that Nigeria lost about $46.16 billion (N16.25 trillion) to oil theft as of 2022.
“It is unfortunate that this issue has now spread to the mining sector, with the House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals confirming that illegal mining activities are costing Nigeria about $9 billion annually,” she said.
She also highlighted the troubling involvement of foreigners in these economic crimes, as revealed by the Chief of Defence Staff, and the detrimental impact on the local environments where illegal mining occurs.
“We commend the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their efforts in curbing crude oil theft and now for their support in combating illegal mining,” Bello added.
