Government authorities in the southwestern Nigerian state of Osun released new information and photos about Sunday’s raid on an allegedly Chinese-run illegal mining operation.
Deputy Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Abdullahi Binuyo (photo top right), said that, in addition to being charged for illegal mining, the perpetrators will also be required to pay compensation for the environmental destruction caused by their alleged activities.
“The illegal miners had also polluted the Osun River with poisonous metals,” according to a statement published on the Osun government’s Twitter page, “thereby making it unsafe for human consumption and irrigation.”
The only member of the Chinese group who reportedly spoke English, May Zam, said she was unaware that they were operating without a valid mining license.
There is no evidence that recent raids on illegal Chinese mining operations in Zamfara or Osun states are linked with last week’s motion introduced in the House of Representatives to crack down on Chinese immigration and unlawful business activities.
Read the full statement by the Osun State government on Twitter.
