The mining solid minerals without official authorization is illegal. In Nigeria, just as in many other countries around the world, the nefarious act is called illegal mining. In this clime, illegal mining is rampant in the northern and western parts of the country ,often perpetrated with the connivance of foreigners. Ilegal mining constitutes serious economic sabotage, it is a major ill militating against the economic growth of Nigeria. Ilegal miners pay no tax, remit nothing to government coffers and are accountable to no one. In fact, they are authority unto themselves. Countries that suffer from the illegal mining of their solid mineral resources often have horrible economic stories to tell; it has always been tales of woes of mindless exploitation by illegal miners, mostly foreigners with active collaboration of locals. Apart from Nigeria, Congo Democratic Republic, DRC is one country that has been mercilessly subjected to decades of illegal mining. Note that buried beneath the soil of the vast Eastern DRC are a plethora of priceless solid mineral resources, including gold, tin, tantalum, cobalt, copper, and diamonds which have, since the country gained independence in the early 60s, been mined illegally, most often by Western interests, to the detriment of the economic growth and well being of the DRC and its people.
The extraction of the above named solid mineral resources has fueled and still fuelling conflicts and instability in Eastern DC as illegal foreign miners sponsor armed rebellions in the region just to maintain their stranglehold there. The activities of the M23 rebels in Eastern DRC are directly linked to illegal mining in that part of the country.
Back to Nigeria. Our country is endowed with a variety of solid minerals deposited in virtually all the states of the federation. One can conclusively say that these solid minerals are God’s gifts to Nigeria, however, why the government has decided to wilfully look the other way while illegal miners run riot with these precious gifts in terms of mining of them baffles me. But who are these faceless illegal miners? Who are their collaborators? Who are their sponsors? Why has it been difficult for the government and security agencies to unmask them? It is my candid opinion that if state and federal governments increase intelligence gathering and muster the politcal will to act decisively against the illegal miners and their collaborators, they will be unmasked, fished out and dealt with according to the extant laws of the land.
Had successive governments applied the laws by coming down heavily on the economic saboteurs, illegal mining would have been tamed long ago. I think there’s the need for the federal government to immediately secure all illegal mining sites in Nigeria and take full control of the extraction of the country’s solid minerals, even if it means getting foreign loans to finance mining projects across the country . But for the activities of ilegal miners, revenue derivable from solid minerals in Nigeria could help strengthen the economy and finance government expenditures.
Like crude oil exploration, the federal government should also accord solid mineral mining the importance and attention it deserves. If government could relentlessly battle foreign and local oil thieves in the Niger Delta, the bastion of Nigeria’s crude oil exploration and production, what stops it from also forcefully combating illegal miners or could it be that some elements in government are complicit in the act?
Let it be known that states like Borno, Plateau, Kogi, Oyo, Zamfara, Taraba, Lagos among others are comfortably seated on huge mineral deposits such as granite , limestone , gypsum , etc. Unfortunately, however, some of these states often go cap in hand soliciting for foreign loans whereas they can benefit from quantum financial gains if solid minerals found beneath their soils are legally mined and proceeds integrated into the federal revenue sharing system.These states can press for special derivation fund to be paid to them the same way oil- bearing states receive 13 percent derivation fund from the federal coffers every month.
No doubt, Nigeria is a rich country but lack of foresight by its leaders cause hunger and abject poverty, thereby birthing all sorts of crimes in the society. It is pertinent to note that our leaders who ought to manage our solid mineral resources shy away from doing that and so failed to put necessary machinery in motion to deal with illegal mining and illegal miners who pay no tax to government . Also, it’s imperative to note that illegal mining is as dangerous as, and also a serious economic sabotage as smuggling and oil bunkering; a lethal criminal activity as kidnapping and banditary. Just as kidnappers and bandits, illegal miners are also often heavily arned with menacing and sophisticated weapons such as AK 47 or assault rifles to ward off security forces should they dare to stop them from carrying on with illegal mining.I had once encountered illegal miners at Enjema area, they looked dangerous, ferocious and wicked, and carried on as if they are untouchable.The illegal miners were so daring in their illicit trade that they audaciously established a market to sell coal they illegally mined. There were no checks by the government on their nefarious activities thus allowing them free hands to thrive!
Instructively, illegal miners don’t pay tax, they don’t contribute to the socio-economic and infrastructural development of their host communities. With the force of arms, they simply strolled into the the communities to extract solid minerals. Worst of all, illegal miners breed and incubate violent crimes; they train and finance terrorists who later graduate into field commanders in kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, hired assassins and armed robbery.
Suggested Positive Actions:
When governments at both state and federal stand aloof and watch this illegality unabeted, it gives a wrong impression, it gives those immersed in it the upper hand.It certainly will encourage them to carry on. The states with the gift of natural mineral resources, as well as the federal government have the responsibility to wade in and checkmate this canker worm called illegal mining. We have been reading in the pages of papers of a TASK FORCE on illegal mining known as “MINE MARSHALL “ established by the federal Government to fight illegal mining, but I have not for once seen them in action. Permit me to cite Governor Kefas of Taraba state as an example. When he took over the helms of governance of the state, he studied the various sources of revenue accruing to the state and discover his government could make lots from the abundant solid minerals in the state. He set up a strong TASK FORCE on illegal mining and saddled Gen. Faransa with the task. The Gen.deployed military strategy and tamed illegal miners, fought them to a stand still and restored sanity in the inflow of revenue from mining to the state. Next, Kogi state readily comes to mind. A very rich state in terms of mineral deposits, but all successive governments failed to tame the monster called illegal mining in the state. It is believed that the present Governor is giving political considerations to the whole gamut of illegal mining.Given that areas like Ankpa, Dekina and other Igala speaking local government areas did not vote for him during the last gubernatorial elections, he seems to be threading carefully so as not to injure the feeling’s of the people. However, he needs to establish a strong Taskforce to help him restore serenity in the mining sector and boost the revenue base of the state.
The same scenario is also obtainable in Zamfara,plateau,Oyo and other states endowed with a variety of solid minerals.
Role of the Federal Ministry of Solid Mineral Development in Checkmating Illegal Mining:
The federal ministry of Solid Mineral Development is a supporting pillar to the various states with solid mineral deposits. Fighting a violent economic sabotage such as illegal mining requires the intervention of the federal government or if you like, federal might. Fighting illegal mining should be viewed from the prism of the fight against violent crime by various states, in which, where the police is unable to cope, soldiers are drafted in to help. So, I think, if necessary, soldiers should be deployed to flush out illegal miners, secure mining sites and end the menace once and for all.
Given the foregoing, I recommend that Mine Marshal tasked with combating illegal miners be established by the federal government.The outfit should be well armed and deployed to any state where illegal miners and mining are active.There must also be a synergy between the states to tackle the hydra headed monster called ilegal mining.
Finally, the need for licences miners to form a strong association, team up and fight illegal miners with one voice cannot be overemphasized. Licensed miners’ associations can impress upon both the federal and state governments the need to take decisive action against illegal miners. The association has a vital role to play.It should ideally serve as a buffer between respective mining companies and the police, NSCDC, DSS and other security agencies.
There is a common adage that two, three, four or more voices are bigger than one voice. This should be the case with the Association of Licensed Miners!
-DSP Sunday Maichibi (RTD)
DSP Maichibi is a former squadron leader of Special Anti robbery squad (SARS)