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Top Nigerians involved in illegal mining, funding banditry, terrorism —Alake

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The Minister of Solid Mineral, Mr Dele Alake, has alleged that powerful Nigerians involved in illegal mining were responsible for other criminal activities and involved in sponsoring banditry and terrorism in the country.

 

 

 

 

Alake said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals for the 2024 budget defence in Abuja on Tuesday.

 

 

According to him, a lot of banditry and terrorism are sponsored by illegal miners; they are not people who pick gold on the ground but powerful individuals in the country.

 

 

He said the majority of the illegal miners were not foreigners but added that foreigners could be seen as symptoms.

 

 

“Nigerians are those powerful people behind them; we are identifying them with both kynetic and non-kynetic means. We have encouraged those petty illegal miners to form cooperatives.”

 

 

He said the most disturbing aspect was that most of the foreigners engaged in illegal mining in the country had no proper immigration.

 

 

He said for mining to generate the requisite revenue, there was a need to have a formal structure that the multinational could deal with, just like the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd.

 

 

He, however, said that the approach of the ministry under his leadership would be different from NNPCL, adding that the structure being proposed for Nigeria Mining Cooperation would be primarily private sector-driven.

 

 

He added that “Nigeria will also have its equity, adding that this would mean that no government could destabilize the structure.

 

 

He said the conservative amount of minerals deposited in the country is over 700 billion dollars, adding that in Nigeria, we had not even accessed a quarter of what it has.

 

 

He urged the chairman of the committee to support the process, adding that this would help change mining in the country.

 

 

He also said that the host communities where mining activities take place across the country would be engaged to forestall the breakdown of laws and orders.

 

 

He pleaded with the committee to consider the amount budgeted for the ministry in the 2024 budget proposal.

 

 

“If we are given that amount of money, I can tell you that what the ministry will contribute will outweigh other ministries, including what we are deriving from oil.

 

 

“We can return trillions to the coffers of this country as revenue if we are given such a budget as proposed,” he said.

 

 

According to him, we have 44 minerals in high demand, but we have six that are in global demand.

 

 

He said Nigeria had the potential to become one of the destination hubs of the world’s economy through solid minerals.

 

 

He, however, said there was a need to sanitize the operating environment for investors.

 

 

The chairman of the committee, Rep. Gaza Gbefwi, said that the solid minerals sector remained the last hope for the country to attain the level of diversity it required.

 

 

He, however, said that the funds appropriated to the sector in the 2024 budget were grossly inadequate.

 

 

He added that the committee has taken proactive steps to put up motions and bills that would strengthen and reorganize the sector.

 

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NDLEA warns public against fake auction offers using officials’ names

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned Nigerians to be wary of fraudsters impersonating its officials to defraud unsuspecting members of the public through fake auction offers for forfeited vehicles.

 

In a statement issued on Friday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the scammers have been using the names of senior NDLEA officials, particularly the Secretary to the Agency, Barrister Shadrach Haruna, to circulate fraudulent letters and messages offering cheap forfeited vehicles for sale.

 

Babafemi described the offers as a deliberate scam aimed at swindling people of their money.

“The public is hereby notified that these offers are a complete scam. The Agency wishes to categorically state that these fraudulent offers are a malicious gimmick designed solely to defraud targeted individuals of their hard-earned money,” he said.

 

The agency stressed that no NDLEA official is authorised to privately allocate, sell or offer forfeited vehicles or any other seized assets to individuals.

According to the statement, all forfeited vehicles and assets are disposed of only through public auction processes conducted by government-approved auctioneers in line with legal and public procurement guidelines.

Babafemi added that legitimate auction exercises are always widely advertised in national newspapers and through the agency’s official communication channels.

He urged members of the public to disregard and report any letters, text messages or social media posts claiming to offer forfeited vehicles through Barrister Haruna or any other NDLEA official.

“The NDLEA remains committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in all its operations. Do not fall victim to these criminal elements. If you are approached with such fraudulent offers, please report immediately to the nearest NDLEA command or through our official communication channels,” the statement added.

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Initiators Promise Big As NIGMA Gets August 2026 Date

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The organisers of this year’s Nigeria International Gospel Music Awards ( NIGMA) have announced that the upcoming edition will celebrate the very best of the gospel music industry in an atmosphere of excellence, creativity, and inspiration.

 

The event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at the prestigious Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, Kingsley Omoefe, Founder and Team Lead of NIGMA and Chief Responsibility Officer of Golden Heritage Limited, said the August event is designed to bring together gospel music ministers, industry stakeholders, fans, and supporters for a memorable celebration of talent, faith, and excellence.

He stated that attendees should expect an unforgettable experience featuring outstanding performances from leading gospel artists, alongside special recognitions for individuals and organisations that have made significant contributions to the industry.

The organisers also revealed that the event will feature meaningful conversations designed to inspire participants, promote collaboration, and foster the continued growth of gospel music.

The organisers said the August gathering would create memorable moments that would leave guests inspired, enriched, and motivated long after the curtains close.

They further called on corporate organisations, media outfits, and well-meaning individuals to take advantage of the opportunities available to support the event through sponsorships and strategic partnerships.

The organisers encouraged interested organisations and individuals seeking sponsorship, partnership, media accreditation, or participation to contact the event management for further information and registration ahead of the highly anticipated August programme.

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Nottingham Forest Sacks 5th Manager In 10 Months, To Wrap Up Oliver Glasner’s Deal

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Oliver Glasner is in advanced talks to replace Vitor Pereira as Nottingham Forest head coach, a move which would see the Austrian become the club’s fifth manager in less than a year.

 

Pereira announced his departure from the club in a statement on Wednesday, saying that it came as a “complete surprise to me and without any warning”.

Glasner is a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace — where he won the FA Cup in 2024-25 and then the Community Shield and Conference League the following campaign — and is set to stay in the Premier League.

The 51-year-old confirmed in January that he would leave Palace at the end of the season after two years in charge.

On Thursday, Forest confirmed Pereira’s coaching staff Filipe Almeida, Luis Miguel, Bruno Moura, Marco Knoop and Pedro Lopes had all left the club alongside the head coach.

Pereira, 57, was appointed Forest head coach in February on an 18-month contract which runs until 2027.

The Athletic reported in May Forest had been planning to show their faith in Pereira by handing the head coach a new long-term contract, but those talks were subsequently put on hold.

“Today marks the end of my journey as head coach of Nottingham Forest,” he said in his statement.

“I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone connected with this incredible football club. Although this decision came as a complete surprise to me and without any warning, I fully respect the club’s right to make the decisions it believes are best for its future.

“Naturally, I am disappointed and saddened. I truly believed in what we were building together, and I leave with a sense of pride in everything we achieved over the past months.

“Together, we enjoyed a memorable end to the season. We secured the club’s Premier League status, reached the semi-finals of the Europa League, and created moments that will stay with me forever. Most importantly, I saw a group of players grow in confidence, belief and togetherness.

“I leave Nottingham Forest with no bitterness or resentment—only respect, gratitude and wonderful memories. Football is full of unexpected moments, and while this chapter has ended sooner than I expected, I will always look back on my time here with pride and affection.”

The Portuguese succeeded Sean Dyche and was Forest’s fourth permanent boss of the season following the departures of Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.

Nuno had led Forest to Europa League qualification the previous season but he departed in September, less than three months after signing a new deal. Postecoglou was appointed his replacement but was dismissed just 39 days later. Dyche took charge of the team in October before his dismissal in February.

Forest were three points above the relegation zone when Pereira was appointed and he subsequently steered his side to Premier League safety with two games of the campaign remaining.

His appointment marked his second managerial spell in the Premier League after guiding Wolverhampton Wanderers to safety during the 2024-25 campaign.

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