Illegal Mining in Kebbi: Concerns Mount over Collusion by Security Operatives, Chinese Nationals 

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Some stakeholders have raised serious concern over the alleged connivance of Nigeria’s security agencies with foreign illegal miners to displace government licensed operators from their sites.
THISDAY gathered that at the weekend, men of the Nigerian Mining Marshals, pursuant to their mandate of helping to sanitise operations in the sector,   stormed the Libata mining site in Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
 Their mission, it was learnt, was to apprehend some Chinese nationals said to be illegally mining lithium there on the site and who had intentionally trespassed to the legally licensed sites.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake and his counterpart in the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had recently in collaboration with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), commissioned the mining marshals, a specialised unit drafted from the corps to ensure sanity at the mining sites.
However, the marshals were said to have been prevented from arresting the illegal operators by the military and police personnel who claimed they were deployed to protect the illegal miners by ‘higher authorities’.
Speaking on the development in Libata, Chief Executive Officer of El-TahDam Exploration,  Adamu Tah, an engineer, said his company validly acquired a mining lease to operate on the site with the $50 million processing plant designed to create over 3,000 jobs.
But he stated that he was allegedly denied access by the Chinese who he said had both military and mobile police cover.
He said: “The Chinese, who are illegal miners there are undertaking activities under a self-acclaimed licensee, Three Crown Mines Limited, exploiting and carting away countless tonnes of materials, want to frustrate our efforts to set up the processing plant there.
“We have also sent a complaint letter to the Chinese Embassy, but the letter remains unattended to. Other local cohorts and influential figures are clearly behind these illegal acts, no doubt.”
According to Tah, who affirmed that he had won the support of the host community to make his planned $50 million investment in the area, all he wanted was for the illegal occupants to vacate the site so that he could resume operations and continue with his plan to establish the processing plant.
Also commenting, the Mining Marshals’ Commander, John Onoja, said the team embarked on the operation, not to halt mining there, but to ensure that those operating there were duly licensed to do so, stressing that the information at their disposal did not capture those at the site at the time.
Interestingly, the presence of a China State-owned company’s vehicles on the site, was said to have sparked suspicion by the team.
The vehicles, it was learnt, were seen parked on the site at the time of the sting operation, implying their direct involvement in the prevailing illegalities in the Nigerian mining sector.
During the operation, the illegal miners who ceased operation temporarily, reportedly resigned to their living quarters on the site, apparently having got wind of the swoop by the mining marshals.
However, they were said to have been pulled out and lined up for onward conveyance to Abuja by the team led by the mining Marshals Commander, Onoja, having identified themselves and declared their mission to the security agencies on guard duty upon arrival.
However, drama started when there was strong resistance emanating from the some military personnel numbering about 40 as well as mobile police, who were up to 20, preventing further action by the mining marshals.
The mining marshals commander, to forestall breakdown of law and order, was said to have quietly retreated.
Onoja said that that necessary steps known to law were being taken already and that the marshals would stop at nothing in ensuring lawful mining activities in the area and Nigeria at large.
The development, stakeholders believe, raises posers about the seriousness of the authorities to tackle the challenge, given that while one security outfit carries out its statutory duty, another agency of government was preventing them from doing their job, citing orders from ‘higher authorities.’
This scenario has prompted concerned stakeholders to call for probe of all the foreign companies that export minerals or are sponsoring illegal mining, with a view to ending their activities.