Nigeria’s police, military chiefs deny aiding, abetting illegal mining

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, have denied suggestions that their personnel provide security for illegal miners in the country.

The duo made the denial at a public hearing convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Mineral Resources.

Jonathan Gaza, chairman of the committee, coordinated the hearing, which was held on Thursday in Abuja.

The security chiefs were responding to a query by the committee that the members of the armed forces and the police were providing security for illegal miners.

The committee had based its stance on “reliable reports”.

According to the CDS, represented by the Director of Operations, Defence Headquarters, Nnaemeka Ilo, army personnel only provide protection for legitimate requests made by legitimate miners, who operate in conflict-inflicted areas.

He said Nigeria’s armed forces were always ready to provide all the necessary support to stop illegal mining.

“It is not our primary duty, but part of our responsibility is that whenever the civil authority tasks us to do something, we have to do that.

“So, for the Armed Forces to be here, it shows we are ready to support the agencies involved in stopping illegal mining, including the civil defence, police and the ministry.”

He dismissed the insinuation of supporting illegal miners as ”simply untrue”.

“If there are any such allegations, please we would want to know which of the mines, or who brought the allegations so that we would take it up from there.

“If there is any such allegation, we want to know who brought that up, but as it is, that is a lie, sir.

“Legitimate requests are made for the military to give protection to legitimate miners that licences have been issued to, in conflict-inflicted areas.

“Once we get such requests, what we normally do is to write to the Ministry of Mines.

“In fact, we direct them to send their letters to the Ministry of Mines. So, if the Ministry of Mines requests us, because of the nature of the environment, because of the conflict, we do sometimes give protection.”

He, however, said that such protection was limited to those people licensed by the government to carry out mining activities, based on the ministry’s requests.

Also, the Inspector General of Police, represented by Ademola Hamzat, said no responsible organisation paid by the public would do anything that would be against the wishes of the people.

READ ALSO: Court refuses to halt Yahaya Bello’s trial, refers defence lawyers for disciplinary procedure

He said the police often provide security to some individuals established to be under serious threat, especially in crisis areas.

“But, from my own office, there is nothing to show that we protect any illegal mining site,” he said.

(NAN)