Politics
THE Omo Oduduwa Collective has urged the Federal Government to tackle illegal mining through constitutional reforms, stronger institutions and improved security architecture.
The group said illegal mining had evolved beyond regulatory failure into a major governance, environmental and national security challenge threatening Nigeria’s stability.
It said Nigeria’s abundant mineral resources should drive economic diversification but instead had become catalysts for insecurity, environmental degradation and social disruption.
The collective noted that illegal mining deprived government of legitimate revenues through unpaid royalties, taxes, licensing fees and export earnings.
It argued that the greater danger was the emergence of organised criminal networks exploiting weak institutions, corruption and inadequate regulation.
According to the group, illegal mining operations increasingly involve financiers, traders, transporters, exporters, foreign interests and politically connected individuals.
It said such networks had frustrated government enforcement efforts, allowing illicit mining activities to flourish despite periodic crackdowns.
The collective warned that proceeds from illegal mining were sustaining organised crime and worsening insecurity across several mineral-rich communities.
It said communities had reported rising incidents of kidnapping, armed attacks, intimidation, extortion and violent territorial disputes linked to illegal mining corridors.
The group also expressed concern over environmental destruction caused by unregulated excavation, including degraded farmlands, polluted water sources and damaged forest ecosystems.
It said the destruction had displaced rural populations, weakened agricultural livelihoods and intensified migration pressures on urban centres.
The collective alleged reports of collaboration between illegal miners, some security personnel, traditional authorities and local beneficiaries in affected Yoruba communities.
It described the lack of political will to dismantle such networks as a major factor sustaining the crisis.
The group called on President Bola Tinubu to prioritise mining-related security challenges and eliminate illegal mining without political considerations.
It also urged the Federal Government to integrate anti-illegal mining measures into broader national restructuring efforts.
The collective advocated amendment of Section 44(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which vests ownership and control of mineral resources exclusively in the Federal Government.
It also sought a review of constitutional provisions granting only the National Assembly legislative authority over mineral resources.
According to the group, state governments and host communities should participate fully in mineral resource governance and regulatory enforcement.
The collective further called for removal of mineral resources from the Exclusive Legislative List to promote accountability and effective management.
It also advocated the establishment of genuinely independent state police to strengthen community-based security operations.
The group emphasised that autonomous local governments were essential for gathering intelligence and combating insecurity in mining communities.
It criticised the continued control of local government allocations by state governments, describing the practice as inconsistent with genuine federalism.
The collective said Nigeria required comprehensive restructuring of resource governance rather than isolated security operations.
It urged government to strengthen institutional accountability, improve licensing transparency, involve host communities and prosecute beneficiaries of illegal mining networks.
The group also called for sustained investment in security, infrastructure and economic development across rural mining communities.
The statement was signed by Prof. Akinyemi Onigbinde, Mr Dele Farotimi, Dr Adeolu Oyekan and Mr Samuel Arinloye on behalf of the Omo Oduduwa Collective.
Tags: Mining security reforms Omo Oduduwa Collective