*Photo: Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake*
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE HONOURABLE MINISTER
Sir,
I write as a concerned Nigerian citizen.
First, illegal mining must not be accepted or normalized as a means of livelihood. It destroys our environment, fuels insecurity, and deprives both the state and future generations of legitimate resources. No citizen should be forced by poverty or neglect to resort to it.
Second, no state government or its agencies has the constitutional right to repatriate a Nigerian citizen to their state of origin. Under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, every citizen has the right to live and work in any part of the country without discrimination. Any attempt to do otherwise is both unlawful and divisive.
Given the sensitivity of these issues, your silence risks being misunderstood as approval.
I therefore respectfully urge you to speak out clearly and promptly. Nigerians deserve leadership that upholds the law and protects the rights and dignity of all citizens, regardless of where they were born.
Yours in service to our nation,
Ottor Authur
Lagos, 24th August 2026
