The Osun State Government had on Sunday announced the arrest of 27 illegal miners in the state out of which 17 of them were Chinese nationals while 10 were there local collaborators.
The state deputy Chief of staff, Abdullahi Binuyo announced this, saying no responsible government would fold its arm while foreigners keep looting its natural resources.
Amotekun, the recently inaugurated regional security outfit made the arrest while on patrol in Ilesa and Ife axis in the state.
This is coming just a few weeks when the same Chinese nationals were apprehended in Zamfara state for the same crime of illegal gold mining.
Chinese in recent time have been allegedly invading African countries and engage in illegal businesses like illegal mining.
The source who did not want to mention his name revealed that some of the Chinese do not have even entry visa into Nigeria.
As most of them look similar, a quite number of them share visa amongst themselves.
However, public health expert had warned that illegal mining if not properly checked would lead to an environmental and human health problem.
While addressing newsmen on Sunday, Mr Binuyo said beyond the economic leakages, illegal miners have also polluted Osun River with poisonous metals, thereby contaminating the water body and rendering it unsafe for humans and irrigation farming.
He revealed the state government would ensure that those arrested would be prosecuted.
The Deputy Chief of staff reiterated in his statement which partly reads;
“As part of the government’s economic reforms, the solid mineral is a major sector we are looking to explore.
For these reforms to work, it has become imperative on the reforms to stop illegal mining and step up enforcement activities.
The result is what we are witnessing today.”
“The people you see here neither have genuine mining licences nor are they registered with the government.
What they claim to have is Exploration Licences, which does not allow them to mine, the way they are doing.
So, we will be prosecuting them and make them pay damages.”
“Apart from flouting government’s Covid-19 Order, by refusing to stay at home, they have created an environmental disaster for us, by poisoning our River which is a major public health concern for us”, he said.
