The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, have denied allegations that security agents are giving security cover to illegal miners in the country.
They made the denial while responding to the allegations at an investigative hearing by the House Committee on Mineral Resources.
Gen. Musa, who was represented by the Director of Operations Defence Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal Nnaemeka Ilo, said security agents only provide protection based on requests by legitimate miners, who operate in conflict-inflicted areas.
According to him, the Nigerian Armed Forces is always ready to give the necessary support to stop illegal mining.
The CDS said, “It is not our primary duty but part of our responsibility as per the constitution that whenever the civil authority tasks us to do something, we have no obligation than to do that.
“So the armed forces is conveying here that we are ready to support all the agencies involved in stopping illegal mining, including the civil defence, police and the ministry and so on.
“Now, to the question that you asked if the military is protecting any minefield or illegal miners. Most of the time, you find out that from reports reaching us from sources, the military and police are providing protection for illegal miners.
“I want to state categorically clear that is a fallacy. It is not true. If there is 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 pure lies sir.
“Legitimate requests are made for the military to give protection to legitimate miners that licence have been issued to in conflict inflicted areas. Once we get such requests what we normally do is we would write to the Ministry of Mines.
“In fact, we direct them to send their letter 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 to those people licensed by the government to carry out mining activities from the Ministry of Mines.”
In the same vein, the Inspector General of Police who was represented by AIG Ademola Hamzat, said the police is a responsible organisation paid by the public and would not do anything that would be against the wish of the people.
He said, “The police, yes, we give guards to some individuals, who we can establish are under serious threat especially in terrorism inflicted areas. But from my own office, there is nothing to show that we protect any illegal mining site. We don’t do that.
“We have a procedure. The procedure should be we should know what you do for a living first and you must be able to establish to us what the reasons are that you want personal guard, because the police is supposed to provide general service to the people.
“So, if the people who actually give this, which is coordinated by the Inspector General of Police himself, are convinced that you are supposed to be given one or two guards for personal protection, they would grant it.”
Earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Jonathan Gaza Gefbwi, had said that they have received reports alleging that some members of the security forces including the armed forces and the police were providing security for illegal miners.
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