The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) has spoken on what the government of Osun State should do to 17 Chinese nationals arrested for illegal mining activities in the state.
The association said that the arrested individuals should be handed over to the Federal Government to face the law.
President of the association, Kabir Mohammed, said the offence committed by the Chinese was a federal crime.
“We demand that the Chinese should be released to the Federal Government for prosecution because this is a Federal Government affair.
“Solid mineral is under the exclusive right of the Federal Government; it is under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.“It doesn’t mean because they (Osun State Government) caught them that they should not hand them over. We demand they hand them over to the ministry for prosecution, it is not a state affair.
“All Nigerians collaborating with the illegal miners should also be prosecuted, not just the Chinese alone. All those involved should be prosecuted.
“I am in support of what the minister said, that they should be prosecuted according to the law. We cannot just fold our hands and allow foreigners to come and loot our commonwealth and our treasures and get away with it,” he noted.
It is obvious some unscrupulous elements in the federal government are behind the illegal Mining,the mining association too might have a hand in all these illegalities ,they are only looking for means to get the culprits off the hook, someday our laws shall prevail, Osun state must have jurisdiction over osuns resources not federal government, ole people, exclusive list ko inclusive list ni
I have another place that the chinies are doing the same. when the task force come the will give bribe mine will go back with out doing any thing