By Ayo Kehinde
Former NYSC Director-General, Major General Bamidele Olawumi (rtd), has challenged Adams Oshiomhole, the Senator representing Edo North in the National Assembly, to substantiate, with evidence, his allegations that retired military generals are involved in illegal mining activities in Nigeria.
Speaking at a recent Senate session, Oshiomhole accused retired military officers and other powerful individuals of facilitating illegal mining activities that have enriched a select few while impoverishing the country.
“Those involved in this illegal mining, they use choppers, they procure arms, exactly the same way our militants were doing in the South-South, they give them arms, they use choppers to cart away the gold and they take them out of this country and make billions of US dollars. And the federal government is not doing what they should be doing.
“Chief of the committee, chairman of defence staff, tell the defence I said so, that some retired military officers, army officers are involved in it. Because these guys have been weaponised by the illegal big men who deployed them, and secured territories, the weapon is meant to protect the Chinese and other foreigners who they actually employed to carry out the mining and on occasion, they use the same weapon to carry out banditry, kidnapping and all of the terrible things that are going on”, he said.
Oshiomhole recalled a previous attempt to address the issue during his tenure as APC national chairman when he wrote to the then-president urging immediate action. According to him, a senior military officer had already warned about the dangerous consequences of unchecked illegal mining operations.
“I took this letter to the former president when I was national chairman of APC and I said ‘Call this general to give you more brief’. In fact, what subsequently happened in that part of the country was exactly what the general told me was going to happen”, he added.
Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, Olawumi, described Oshiomhole’s remarks as reckless, baseless and offensive.
Accusing the former Edo governor of maligning the reputation of retired generals who have served Nigeria with honour, Olawumi said, “As a retired general who has faithfully served this country, I find Senator Oshiomhole’s comments not only false but a direct affront to my person and the legacy of my service. His reckless generalisation has exposed retired generals like myself to unwarranted public scorn and suspicion.”
He challenged Senator Oshiomhole to provide concrete evidence to back his claims or withdraw the allegations altogether.
“If he possesses credible evidence of any retired general involved in illegal mining, the responsible action would be to report such individuals to the Department of State Services or other relevant authorities. Resorting to baseless public accusations without proof is unpatriotic and irresponsible.
“I demand an immediate apology to all retired generals who have been unfairly maligned by this reckless statement. If he cannot provide evidence to substantiate his claims, Senator Oshiomhole should refrain from making such damaging comments in the future”, he said.
Olawumi urged the federal government to strengthen regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms to halt illegal mining in the country.
