Miners work at an illegal tin mining site in Jos, Nigeria, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. The recent arrests come as Nigeria seeks to regulate mining of critical minerals, curb illegal activity and better benefit from its mineral resources. Miners work at an illegal tin mining site in Jos, Nigeria, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. The recent arrests come as Nigeria seeks to regulate mining of critical minerals, curb illegal activity and better benefit from its mineral resources.
President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly blamed illegal mining for the worsening conflicts in the country’s north and asked the international community for help to stop the problem, which provides armed groups with the proceeds needed to sustain and arm themselves.The Chinese embassy in Abuja did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment on the arrests and claims of illegal operations.
The arrests of “both Chinese nationals and young Hausa boys from conflict-affected regions underscore a troubling pattern,” Okoro told the AP. “The socioeconomic strain stemming from conflict and the repercussions of climate change has given rise to a vulnerable demographic desperate for survival.”