Nigerians want a halt to Chinese miners’ unlawful mining: Report

According to Daily Trust, several Nigerians demonstrated against the illegal mining by Chinese miners in the areas of Lagos and Osun.

Many Nigerians expressed their disgust on Twitter, complaining that Chinese miners had elevated themselves to the position of lords over Nigeria’s natural riches. Nigerians are expressing their displeasure by using the hashtag #StopChineseIllegalMining.
Additionally, they requested that the relevant government departments monitor the miners’ actions in the Lagos and Osun neighborhoods.

“Marching with pride to defend our environment and soil. It’s time to stop Chinese illicit mining since it’s gotten out of hand. We can achieve equilibrium if we work together, a tweet said.
Another user of the internet posted, “Stand up for what’s right! Our ecology is at danger because of unlawful mining in China. Let’s resist and save our ecosystem for next generations.

“Nigeria won’t stand for Chinese unlawful mining destroying our ecosystem and soil. Join the march and let’s fight for a sustainable future!” reads another tweet.
According to the Daily Trust, residents of Osun villages have already voiced their complaints over Chinese illegal mining activities that continued to present a serious concern.

Daily Trust is a component of “Media Trust,” an Abuja-based privately controlled publisher of Nigerian newspapers.

Residents of the Opa hamlet in Osun accused a group of Chinese miners of violating the environment and encroaching on their property in December 2020.

The suspected gold-seeking miners had acquired a tiny plot of land next to a creek from a local chief.
According to a report in national newspapers, they eventually extended their mining operations to other areas of the neighborhood, digging near to some homes and resulting in damage and floods.

The locals said that despite their efforts to stop the miners, the armed police officers manning the site disregarded them and threatened them.
Residents of the impacted villages claim that despite the previous governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, making a commitment to control miners’ operations in the state in 2019, there hasn’t been much progress, according to Daily Trust.

To curb criminality and environmental damage, it was intended to register every miner working in the state.
Residents are still griping about the unlawful activity and the terrible suffering it has proceeded to load upon them three years later.