The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused some traditional rulers of collaborating with illegal miners, a practice that the agency warns is having devastating effects on their communities and the country as a whole.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede expressed his concerns on Tuesday in Abuja during the two-day International Anti-Corruption and Climate Change Conference. The event was organized by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) in partnership with Hawkmoth and supported by the MacArthur Foundation.
Olukoyede highlighted the growing environmental crisis caused by illegal mining, warning that the situation could soon surpass the damage inflicted by oil and gas exploration. He stated, “When we are talking about environmental degradation, what is going on now with the illegal mining, in another five years it is going to be much worse than the degradation that oil and gas exploration has caused. So let us begin to have that at the back of our mind. It (illegal mining) is a major problem that we are grappling with.”
He further emphasized the role of local leaders in exacerbating the problem. “You need to see the pictures of some of the environmental damage that illegal mining is causing; not even from foreigners alone, but particularly by our own indigenous people, in their environment. In some cases, supported by some traditional rulers,” Olukoyede noted.
Additionally, he drew attention to the severe environmental damage in the Niger Delta, particularly oil spills and pollution, attributing much of the destruction to corruption rather than natural causes. Olukoyede remarked, “The Niger Delta today is riddled with cases of oil spills, pollution, and damage to the ecosystem. This cannot be blamed on natural occurrences alone. Corruption is at the root of climatic disruptions.”
