Nigerians protest illegal mining, search to stop Chinese miners in Osun, Lagos

Many Nigerians have expressed outrage on social media over Chinese “illegal mining” actions in Lagos and Osun communities, Nigerian Tribune Online reported.

Expressing their displeasure by the use of the Twitter hashtag #StopChineseIllegalMining, the protesters mentioned that Chinese miners have made themselves lords of the Nigerian pure property which belong to the people and authorities. 

They moreover often known as on the required authorities companies to look at the actions of the miners on the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) in Lagos and others inside the Osun communities of Nigeria.

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“Marching with pride to protect our soil and environment. Chinese illegal mining has gone too far, and it’s time to end it. Together, we can restore balance,” a tweet said.

Another tweet be taught “No more exploitation! Chinese illegal mining is depleting our natural resources. Let’s raise awareness and support sustainable practices. Join the movement today.”

Many residents dwelling in Osun communities had earlier complained in regards to the unlawful mining operations completed by the Chinese which have continued to pose an unimaginable risk, Nigerian Tribune Online reported.

In December 2020, residents of the Opa group in Osun accused a bunch of Chinese miners of environmental abuse and encroachment on their land.

The miners, who had been allegedly trying to find gold, had purchased a small portion of land near a stream from an space chief.

However, they later expanded their mining actions to totally different components of the group, digging close to some properties and inflicting hurt and flooding, Nigerian Tribune Online reported citing a report from Punch Newspaper.

The residents said they tried to stop the miners nonetheless that they had been ignored and intimidated by armed policemen guarding the situation.

One of the eyewitnesses narrated the incident thus, “When these Chinese miners first came, a colleague house owner saw them using a big machine to dig on a parcel of land looking for gold. We confronted them. When they didn’t retreat, we started pelting them with stones. They were forced to retreat. A few days later, around 1:30 am, the Chinese miners and their labourers came back and commenced work on two plots of land belonging to me. They were looking for gold. Despite our complaint, they have continued excavation.”

“Many other houses were affected. Government and security agents should intervene and save us from the serious dangers we have been exposed to. Several buildings are now in serious danger of being washed away.”

Although the earlier Governor of Osun State Gboyega Oyetola promised to manage the actions of mining inside the state in 2019, residents of the affected communities said it has not yielded loads final result.

The plan was to register all miners working inside the state to forestall crime and environmental degradation, Nigerian Tribune Online reported.

Three years later, residents are nonetheless complaining in regards to the illegal actions and the untold hardship it continued to heap on them.

Many media retailers moreover reported that some quarry operators fought with residents who had been agitating over the illegal mining actions of their group.

The residents had accused the quarry homeowners of blasting rocks indiscriminately, inflicting air air air pollution, noise disturbance, and hurt to buildings.

Even though the quarry operators had always denied the allegations and claimed that they’d obtained the required permits and approvals from the federal authorities and the usual ruler, residents proceed to hunt out justifiable causes to call for illegal miners, dominated by the Chinese, to be stopped.

The landowners all through the communities have moreover lamented and protested in the direction of the mining actions of some quarry operators of their areas. 

Demonstrations had been carried out in Ife, Osun State, and in Surulere, Lagos State in the direction of the actions of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), in Lagos State.

The landlords, based mostly on a Channels TV report, indicated that Chinese miners had been working illegally and with out the consent of the federal authorities or the usual ruler, Nigerian Tribune Online reported.

“Majority of us have relocated our aged parents to safety areas, for our lives and property are no longer safe in this area. Anytime we are leaving home, our children must follow us, for we are not sure of any hazard that may occur before our arrival back to the house. Maybe the house might have fallen or cracked before we come back,” the Chairman of the Landlord Association in Ilode Area, Olafare Olarotimi said. 

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