By Christiana Ekpa
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Christopher Musa, on Thursday, denied that the members of the Armed Forces provide security for illegal mining sites and miners in the country.
Also denying the allegation was the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who said his men do not provide security for such.
Both men spoke at a hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on Mineral Resources, chaired by Hon Jonathan Gaza, with stakeholders on illegal mining.
They were both responding to a query by the Committee Chairman that the members of the Armed Forces and the police were providing security for illegal miners based on reliable reports.
Musa, who was represented by the Director of Operations Defence Headquarters,
Air Vice Marshal Nnaemeka Ilo, said they only provide protection for legitimate requests made by legitimate miners, who operate in conflict-inflicted areas.
He said the Armed Forces of Nigeria is ever ready to give all the necessary support needed to stop this illegal mining.
His words, “It is not our primary duty but part of our responsibility as per the constitution is that whenever the civil authority task us to do something, we have no obligation than to do that.
“So the Armed Forces to convey 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 reliable sources that the military and police 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 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 based on requests from the Ministry.”
