Nigeria, Oct. 8 -- The House of Representatives has inaugurated an Ad Hoc Committee on Illegal Mining, vowing to block the estimated $9 billion Nigeria loses every year to illicit mining operations across the country.

Chairman of the committee, Sanni Abdulraheem (APC, Kogi), described illegal mining as a national scourge that robs Nigeria of revenue, fuels insecurity, and devastates the environment.

"It is estimated that Nigeria loses approximately $9 billion annually due to illegal mining activities. This theft of our resources, which should be enriching our nation, has gone on for far too long. It is time to put an end to it," Mr Abdulraheem said during the committee's inauguration on Wednesday in Abuja.

Illegal mining has long been ...