The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on April 29, 2019 stated that the Commission will partner with the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in tackling illegal mining in the country.
Magu stated this when he received senior officials of the South South Zonal Office of the ministry, who paid a courtesy visit to the Benin Zonal Office of the Commission.
Magu who was represented by Akaninyene Ezema, Benin Zonal Head, said the Commission was willing to partner with the ministry as long as the partnership falls within the purview of the Commission’s mandate.
In his remarks, Engr. Habila Dingan Dauda, Zonal Mines officer, South South, who is the leader of the team, said the country loses huge amount of revenue to activities of illegal mining and therefore solicited the support of the Commission for its Special Mines Surveillance Task Force, SMSTF, established to curb illegal mining activities in Edo State.
Dauda said he was optimistic that with EFCC partnering the ministry, the ministry will able to halt the activities of illegal miners and recover more money for the country. “Most of this illegal mining are carried out by people without the required licence”, he said.