Edo miners clash with NSCDC over harassment and extortion claims

The Edo State chapter of the Miners Association of Nigeria has accused the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps of harassing and extorting its members through alleged arbitrary enforcement of royalty payments on pulverised mineral materials.

Speaking at the association’s Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday in Auchi, the Acting Chairman of MAN in Edo State, Alhaji Fatai Jimoh, said members had been subjected to undue intimidation and financial exploitation by NSCDC operatives, particularly through the deployment of special marshals to monitor trucks transporting solid minerals.

Jimoh stated that the enforcement actions had created unrest within the sector and imposed unjustified levies on miners.

“The deployment of special marshals to check trucks conveying solid minerals has resulted in undue harassment and extortion of our members,” Jimoh said.

However, the NSCDC in Edo State, through the command’s spokesman, Efosa Ogbebor, denied the allegations, noting that some misguided elements might be impersonating personnel of the corps.

He challenged the miners to provide evidence of extortion, insisting the corps had not received any formal complaints.

“Some misguided elements may impersonate NSCDC personnel, but if miners have credible evidence, they should come forward,” Ogbebor said.

But Jimoh insisted that one of the major disputes centred on royalty payments for pulverised dolomite, a matter the association’s leadership had escalated to the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development through official correspondence.

“The contentious issue of royalty payment on pulverised dolomite was decisively addressed by the state executives, and the matter is currently receiving due attention from the minister,” he added.

Speaking further, Jimoh disclosed that the association was working to resolve controversies surrounding marble royalty, noting that studies had shown minerals found in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area were more accurately classified as calcite rather than marble.

He said efforts were ongoing to secure proper classification and gazetting of calcite by the Federal Government while also exploring affordable and sustainable energy alternatives to reduce operational costs for miners.

Also addressing the AGM, the Permanent Secretary of the Edo State Ministry of Mining, Omoruyi Martina, called for stronger collaboration between the ministry and mining operators.

“We are a regulatory ministry, and we should be working with the association to develop mining in Edo.

“We are committed to putting in place laws that will guide mining activities and ensure the sector thrives,” Martina said.

Delivering a paper titled Nigerian Mining Industry: Challenges and Opportunities, mining expert Akinbowale Akinro said mining contributed 4.61 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP, with Edo ranking fourth in national solid minerals output.

Akinro, however, identified illegal mining as a major challenge undermining legitimate operators.

“Illegal miners bear none of the operational, environmental, and tax burdens licensed operators carry, thereby creating unfair market disadvantages,” he said.

Earlier, AGM Chairman, Sunny Ifijen, urged unity among miners, describing extortion, arbitrary levies, and power shortages as key obstacles facing the sector.