Minister accuses influential Nigerians of pressurising FG to free Chinese arrested for illegal mining

Osun state government recently arrested 27 illegal gold miners, 17 of whom are Chinese nationals.

The Minister of mines and steel development, Olamilekan Adegbite has said that some influential Nigerians are mounting pressure on the Federal Government to free Chinese nationals arrested for illegal gold mining in Nigeria.

Adegbite disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, May 8, 2020, saying the government would not tolerate any form of illegal mining again.

According to him, the illegal miners in the country work for “Nigerians in high positions of authority.”

It would be recalled that on Monday, May 4, 2020, Osun state government arrested 27 illegal gold miners, 17 of whom are Chinese nationals.

Mr Olamilekan Adegbite, Minister of Mines and Steel Development. [Twitter/@_LekanAdegbite]

Adegbite explained that the coronavirus pandemic was responsible for the surge in illegal gold mining activities in the country.

He said, 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 accused some soldiers of aiding the illegal activity.