Environment: Illegal mining increases the risk of earthquakes in Ileki, Osun
By Olusegun HOSEA.
26th February, 2026.
The concern of environmental management is to protect the environment from destruction that is usually caused by natural disasters, as well as pollution and degradation initiated by human beings. The illegal mining going on in Ileki community in Ilesha, Osun State has been a source of concern to stakeholders. These illegal mining activities may likely expose the entire community to an earthquake in the future if care is not taken.
Ileki, a community located in Ilesha, Osun State, after passing through Iwaraja by the express road that links Ife to Ondo State, is where the illegal mining activities are taking place. The people have foreseen the danger associated with this illegal activity being perpetrated by foreigners in collaboration with some indigenes. Whenever it rains, the whole express road used to be flooded, and when this happens, the heavy traffic and the diversion of traffic towards Ilesha University usually cause them more pain whenever the effects surface.
Meanwhile, the stakeholders have argued that the indigenes and the landowners where the illegal activity is taking place may have been compromised, which is why the authorities concerned have not been able to take action against those working there. While the drivers plying the road are lamenting that the repercussion of this illegal mining may likely affect the ongoing new road construction in the future when the effects begin to manifest.
Most concerned people have called on the government of the State to seek an expert opinion in Environmental Chemistry/Environmental Management from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, from scholars like Prof. (Mrs.) Aderonke Adetutu Okoya, to enlighten them on the implications of mismanagement of the environment and waste of water at a critical time like this in the economy of our country. This vital wisdom of an expert, if sought, may go a long way in creating a safe environment for all the people living in this environment and beyond.
In another development, the activities of this illegal mining, if action is not taken, may lead to an unsafe express road in the future, as motorists plying the route may experience disturbances such as kidnapping and robbery of passengers and their belongings if the government does not think inwardly to put an end to this action. Moreover, the community may experience a sudden earthquake in the future because of the deep dug holes visible across places within the Ileki community in the state.
