By our reporter| Nigeria’s minister of mines and steel development, Olamilekan Adegbite, said the government is under pressure from some influential Nigerians to free Chinese nationals arrested for illegal mining.
The Osun state government on Monday said it arrested of 27 persons for illegal mining of gold. 17 of those arrested were Chinese nationals.
Adegbite who made the disclosure at a briefing with journalists in Abuja, blamed the spike on illegal mining on the COVID-19 pandemic but warned that the government would not tolerate such activities.
“Nigerians in high positions of authority [are behind them]. The Chinese are the main culprits in the illegal mining activities and we are going to meet with the Chinese embassy. We are going to present all the facts to them so that it will not appear as if we are targeting them unfairly.”
“These godfathers were operating with impunity before, but they are now scared because the arrested illegal miners are naming names but they (godfathers) are denying. The law is on our side and we must prosecute these people to serve as a deterrent.”
The minister also alleged that some soldiers of aiding the illegal miners in their nefarious activities.
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