Amidst the mineral riches of Oyo State lies a shadowy truth: illegal mining thrives. In the heart of Olode Village, located in the capital Ibadan, where clandestine extraction persists, caution is currency, and outsiders are treated with suspicion.
Amidst the mineral riches of Oyo state lies a shadowy truth: illegal mining thrives. In the heart of Olode Village, located in the capital Ibadan, where clandestine extraction persists, caution is currency, and outsiders are treated with suspicion. But their wariness is not only to keep the environmentally damaging illegal mining hidden; they are also trying to conceal an even worse dangerous reality – illicit use of explosives.
Although Meduret has nine valid small scale mining leases to mine Gold and tourmaline in Iwajowa LGA of Oyo state until 2028, the company neither applied for nor received a permit to buy explosives, the mines inspectorate department told PREMIUM TIMES in a freedom of information reply.The use and purchase of explosives without a permit is a breach of the Explosives Act of 1964 and the Terrorism, Prohibition, and Prevention Act of 2022.
At the point of purchase, the anti-bomb explosive ordinance department of the Nigeria Police Force and the mining officer in the state are tasked with ensuring the safe transportation and storage of the explosives. The mining officer would also document the quantity of explosives stored and used by the company. These details form part of the information documented in the company’s explosives returns.
“All the security agencies are with him. They all know him. He bribes his way. You know, in Nigeria, anything goes; once you tip some necessary people, you can go about your business,” the official stated. Gbenga Okunola, a professor of economic geology at the University of Ibadan, explained that Camara’s ability to illegally buy, transport, and use explosives “is a matter between the security agencies, and of course, the mines inspectorate officers.”
One of the duties of the anti-bomb explosive ordinance department of the Nigeria Police Force is to escort explosives during transportation and ensure proper storage as approved. PREMIUM TIMES contacted the police spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, with the findings of the investigation. However, calls and messages sent to his known mobile number went unanswered.
A visit to Ayetoro-Ile community in Iwajowa LGA, a known mining site of Meduret, revealed that the mining company had stopped operation in the area about five years ago.Miners are naturally attracted to Oyo state due to its rich deposits of minerals such as lithium, which is critical for energy transition, as well as marble and gemstones like rubellite, tourmaline, and spessartite garnet. According to the state government, this guarantees an annual production output of approximately $3.
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