Money From Illegal Mining Used To Fund Criminal Activities – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration has discovered that criminals have infiltrated the mining industry in Nigeria.

The President said this on Tuesday at the open declaration of the 56th annual international conference and exhibition of the Nigerian Mining and Geoscience Society held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

The conference was themed, ‘Responsible exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in a secured environment.

President Muhammadu Buhari's address was read by the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uchechukwu Ogah.

Buhari said since most mining activities were taking place in remote places, it has been easier for criminals to infiltrate the mining industry.

He argued that the money made from the industry was being used to fund criminal activities to the detriment of the economy of the country and its security.

The President stated that apart from the security implications of the criminal activities on the economy, their actions were affecting the security of lives and property of the Nigerian people.

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The address read, “The reality of this truth is most obvious in the minerals sector given the fact that mining activities take place in remote localities. Our intelligence gathering efforts have confirmed that most of these criminal elements have infiltrated the mining industry and are using it as a means of funding their despicable activities.

“It is with this understanding that we recently took the painful but necessary decision of banning all forms of mining activities in Zamfara State, where armed banditry has persisted.

“It is also to this end that I directed the ministers of Mines and Steel Development to strengthen collaboration with state governments and relevant security agencies to ensure the security and safety of all mining areas. In so doing, we can achieve sustainable development of the minerals sector for the peace and security of our great country and good people.

“It is in furtherance of our commitment and resolve to address the security challenges that I recently charged the newly-decorated service chiefs that they have just a few weeks to crush all forms of criminality in the country. We cannot yield the sovereignty of our nation to a bunch of individuals, who have refused to see reasons to abandon their criminality.

“The security chiefs have been mandated to forcefully bring this criminality to an immediate end. Let me reiterate that the government is more than capable and more than ever determined to halt all forms of criminality perpetrated by these individuals.”

The President reiterated the commitment of his administration to diversify the country’s economy using mining and agriculture sectors as viable options.