Olamilekan Adegbite, minister of mines and steel
development, says some influential Nigerians have been putting pressure on the
federal government to free Chinese nationals arrested for illegal mining.
On Monday, the Osun government announced the arrest of 27
persons for illegal mining of gold. It said 17 out of those arrested were
Chinese nationals.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Adegbite said the
government would not tolerate any form of illegal mining.
The minister said the COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for
the surge in illegal gold mining activities in the country.
 |
| The arrested miners |
“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,” he
said.
“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 accused some soldiers of aiding the
illegal activity.
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