Opa river is a major source of water for domestic use in Ile-Ife communities, Osun State, including the over 35,000 students and staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, located in the region.
Our correspondent visited Afeki local community, Oke-Opa, in Ile-Ife, where gold mining was said to be taking place and where toxic substances were allegedly released into the water, flowing to the main Opa reservoir. Opa reservoir is the source of water for the OAU community.
From ash-coloured looking small rivers, which, according to the residents, used to be clean; to remains of fallen cocoa, and palm trees, cassava, among others, as a result of excavation of farmlands belonging to residents, our correspondent saw that what used to be a natural vegetative area was fast turning into a worksite, where excavators, among other sophisticated machines, were actively in use.
Issues of illegal mining across communities in Nigeria have been a major crux of agitations, as residents often complain of water pollution, land degradation, and little or no compensation to the host communities by the mining companies.
Speaking with some residents in the Afeki community, our correspondent gathered that mining of gold had recently begun in the community as farmlands were seen to have been recently displaced, water channel diverted, and deep excavations carved on most parts of the area.
The residents said they had not confirmed the name of the mining company, as the company representative was said to have been careful not to mention the name of the company when they came for a meeting with the locals. Meanwhile, speculations were that the company was owned by some Chinese.
One of the residents, Mr. Gideon Adeyeni, who said he was not sure if the miners were licensed or not, noted that their activity was largely unregulated, owing to the damage being done to the land, water, and people in terms of toxic substances the community was said to be exposed to.
According to him, the issues surrounding the degradation and pollution of the Ogoni land in the Niger Delta started like this, adding that there was a need to begin to check such activities, especially at their early stage.
“The colour of the water has changed, and the farmlands belonging to local farmers have been excavated. Chemicals being used are released into the water,” Adeyeni had said.
Some of the chemicals used in gold mining, by the research of our correspondent, include cyanide, sulfuric acid, and solvents for separating minerals from ore. Cyanide is among the most harmful substances on Earth and it is harmful to humans and most aquatic life even at low concentrations.
Another resident, identified simply as Mr. Olayiwola, said that mining activity in residential areas posed a lot of threats to humans, as “issues like flooding, landslide and unnoticed pits resulting from excavation – that could be fallen into by unsuspecting locals, could occur.”
“Anything mining is toxic to human beings, for example, water poisoning could occur as a result of contaminated water finding its way into the wells from which people get consumable water,” he said.
The residents also said they learnt the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, could be aware of the mining activity. According to one of them, when we approached them over their activity on an area designated for worship, one of them told us that even the ‘Kabiyesi’ (king) was aware of his presence there.”
“Anytime I visited the area and got close, their security personnel shouted at me to leave the scene, but they forgot that we were the first occupants of this place before they came for their mining,” Adeyeni noted.
He maintained that they were asking for a regulated mining activity that would not threaten the survival of the locals, as he noted that he only learnt that the miners planned to compensate the community with electric poles.
Some of the locals also called on relevant government authorities to see the situation.
Efforts to reach the miners proved abortive for the security concerns of our correspondent and his acquaintances.
