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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
There was tension in Osun State, yesterday, as local government chairmen and security operatives clashed with military personnel during an enforcement exercise against illegal mining and unauthorised ticketing in Ibodi, located within the Atakunmosa West Local Government Area.
The confrontation unfolded when council chairmen from the Ijesa South Federal Constituency, accompanied by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the police, visited the area to clamp down on illegal mining activities.
The delegation acted in response to widespread complaints from residents over severe environmental degradation and escalating security risks caused by unauthorized miners.
The standoff occurred when military personnel stationed at the site attempted to block the enforcement team from halting the operations of miners and individuals collecting illegal levies.
The situation was eventually diffused through the intervention of the member representing Ijesa South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Sanya Omirin, alongside senior police officers.
The resolution allowed the team to successfully shut down the Ibodi site before proceeding to the Ijana Wasare community to halt similar illegal operations and ticket issuances.
Speaking to journalists after the inspection, the Chairman of Ilesa West Local Government, Hon. Lanre Balogun, who spoke on behalf of the Ijesa South council chairmen, emphasized that the crackdown was crucial to protecting local communities.
Balogun noted that areas across Ijesa land, including Ipinrindo, Itagunmodi, Igangan, Itapa, and Odogbo, have suffered catastrophic environmental damage, including destroyed farmlands, polluted water sources, and the displacement of local farmers.
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He stated that council investigations revealed the sites lacked valid records or licenses from the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, with unauthorized actors unlawfully collecting revenues through ticketing.
“We discovered that many of these mining sites have no records whatsoever with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development. They are unregistered, unlicensed, and largely untraceable.”
Balogun commended the NSCDC for swiftly deploying personnel to force illegal miners to abandon several locations.
As part of the tour, the chairmen also met with the Owa Sare of Ijana Wasare, Oba Adeniyi Adedeji, and other local stakeholders to forge a unified front against illegal mining.
They cited the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, arguing that local governments hold a legal mandate to safeguard the environment and community well-being.
During the inspection, Hon. Omirin criticized the Osun State Government, accusing it of abetting illegalities by issuing tickets to unlicensed miners rather than enforcing compliance with federal regulations.
He stressed that only the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development holds the constitutional authority to license mining operations.
Omirin vowed that local authorities, in partnership with security agencies and host communities, will sustain the ban on unlicensed mining in the constituency, promising to take the matter further at the National Assembly.
The council chairmen announced a total ban on unpermitted mining and illegal ticketing across the affected districts, warning operators to secure legitimate federal licenses before resuming any activities.
