Miners Now Mining Residential Areas, Osun Community Raises Alarm

RESIDENTS of Ido-Ijesa in Ilesa West Local Government Area of Osun State have raised the alarm over indiscriminate mining activities going on in the community. 

The residents who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday said miners are now mining in residential areas without recourse for the safety and health of the occupants.

They alleged that some politicians and powerful personalities in Ilesa are the sponsors of the miners.

According to the residents, the miners have also been encroaching on people’s property without authorisation for mining.

They urged the state government and royal fathers in Ijesaland to come to their rescue and curb what they described as threatening mining activities in the area.

Speaking with the medium, Abiodun Ogunleye, an indigene of the town, lamented that his family is a victim of the indiscriminate mining activities,

Ogunleye said the miners have destroyed his family’s houses, farmland and water, calling on the state government to find a way to take the miners out of their community. 

He said safety of the residents of the community should be the priority of the state government, adding that they have made series of appeals to those in power concerning the miners without any positive results. 

According to him, “These miners are now mining areas very close to residential areas and by implication, it is affecting us. Our houses, the water we are using, our farms and our health are being affected. 

“There was a time the local miners went to one of the most populated hostels (Ajangila) around the campus area in Ilesa. The miners had already started mining and digging the surrounding of the building without the student’s knowledge. 

“It was a good Samaritan who alerted the students to the danger and they all had to run for their lives. The machines they used to mine in that hostel are still there till now. 

“Also, these local miners have occupied Oke-Odo in Ido-Ijesa and they are mining there till now. There are also mining activities going on in Isale-General area. These miners have dug deep into building foundations. 

“The problem is that most of the landlords do not know the danger attached to this illegal mining and that is why we youth are saying enough is enough.

“We want to appeal to the state government and our royal fathers in Ijesaland to come to our aid. The activities of these miners have to stop. They cannot continue to endanger our lives because of their selfish gain.”

A widow, Chief Alice Coker, while narrating her ordeals in the hands of the miners, told the medium that her son lost his business because of the damage caused by the miners. 

According to her, she loaned a sum of N500,000 to her son to boost his fish farming business but went into the drain due to the pollution of water by the miners. 

Coker lamented that some of the people in charge of managing the miners in the area were not sincere, adding that her plea to return her land to the normal state after mining on them went on deaf ears. 

She said: “I am a widow with no one to fight for me. I had three lands I was using to farm before the Chinese came and mined on them. They promised to return the land to normal before leaving but they didn’t. 

“I complained to those who brought the Chinese and they warned me to stay calm that the miners are still coming back but till now, I didn’t see anyone.

“My son is into fish farming. I went to obtain N500,000 loan for him to assist his business. He dug a pond on one of the lands but after the Chinese left, the water got polluted with led and all the fish died. My son couldn’t do the business again. 

“I know God owns everything and the land they destroyed was nothing but the issue is that the miners have polluted the water to the extent that it is not safe to use again. 

“The activities of these miners have caused a lot of illness to the people and that is the main issue. Our children should not get sick because of some people making millions. The Governor has to show he prioritises our welfare and send this miner away.”

• Kazeem Badmus