Group urges govt to deal with illegal mining in Osun

An indigenous nongovernmental organization, Hope for Family Development Initiative (HFDI), has urged governemt to deal with the problem of illegal mining activities in Osun state.

The Executive Director of the group, Stephen Aremu at a press conference in Osogbo decried the alarming rate of illegal mining in the state, saying that the scenario has become worrisome.

Aremu said the illicit activity has become a major source of revenue leakage to the state and federal government.

He called on the Federal Ministry of Mines and Solid Mineral Development, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and Osun State Government to urgently take necessary measures to halt the activities of illegal miners in the state.

Aremu said Nigeria lost $9billion to the export of proceeds of illegal mining activities between 2014 and 2015 as disclosed in a recent report by the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI).