Nigeria: Traditional ruler arrested for illegal mining

Authorities in Nigeria’s southwestern Osun State have arrested 27 illegal miners, including 17 Chinese nationals and a local traditional ruler known as a Baale. 

A government official said the miners would all be prosecuted and be made to pay for the damage they caused to the local environment, including the leaking of poisonous metals into the Osun river. 

Thousands of people work in informal mines across Nigeria, which has significant mineral deposits including gold.

Just last week, authorities arrested 11 workers from Zamfara state who had snuck into Osun to mine illegally, despite travel restrictions in place because of the coronavirus. 

Last year, the government banned much of the gold mining in Zamfara state over concerns that it was linked to an escalation in violence and kidnapping in the region. As a result, large numbers of workers are crossing into Osun state to work on unauthorised mines, most of which are run by Chinese firms. 

Correspondents say successive Nigerian governments have failed to regulate the mining sector as they have been too focussed on the country’s oil industry. 

Photo: Getty Images