Water Manifesto (I): Shock, disbelief as ‘protected’ gold miners operate freely in Osun

In many Nigerian communities, pollution of water bodies due to human activities deprives residents of clean water and poses harm to aquatic animals.

To highlight the dangers associated with the widespread paucity of clean water, Anu Adelakun, a documentary filmmaker with TheCable and 2022 Nigerian Bertha fellow, embarked on a one-year investigation.

Presenting her findings in a five-part video documentary, Adelakun captures how corruption and politics fuel the lack of access to clean water.

The documentary, titled ‘The Water Manifesto’, captures the multiple encumbrances robbing residents of clean water in Osun, Enugu, Rivers, Lagos and Abuja.

In the first part published today, Adelakun exposes how the activities of illegal and unregulated gold miners in Osun have triggered the pollution of the Osun river and other water bodies.

She also uncovers how miners, foreign and local, arrested by officials of the Osun government escaped from a pick-up van in connivance with security operatives.

The documentary also shows how the miners enjoy the protection of security operatives to carry out their illegal activities.

WATCH PART I OF THE WATER MANIFESTO

This documentary was executed for the 2022 Bertha Fellowship in partnership with Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation (CNJF) and TheCable Newspaper.