2 Killed, 3 Injured As Artisanal Miners Confront Chinese Expatriates In Ibokun

 

By Ismaeel Uthman

A Chinese miner, Kuang Zhang, and one Abdulhadi Musa have been reportedly killed in a fight that broke out between some artisanal miners and some Chinese nationals at a mining site in Ido-Oko, Obokun Local Government Area of the State of Osun.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that three other people sustained gunshot and other degrees of injuries in the clash that occurred about 4:30pm last Tuesday.

Findings by the medium revealed that some Chinese nationals arrived at the mining site, where some artisanal miners were already working, in company of security officers, and directed the workers to vacate immediately.

According to information at the disposal of OSUN DEFENDER, the Chinese claimed the mining site had been licensed to them by the Federal and State governments.

But the artisanal miners, it was gathered, resisted and told the Chinese nationals that they owned the site, a situation that degenerated into hot altercations. 

The altercations snowballed into a fight, leading to the death of Zhang and Musa.

Another Chinese was beaten to a state of coma, while an artisanal miner sustained bullet wounds with one other sustaining minor injuries. 

Credible sources in the area told OSUN DEFENDER that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Obokun LGA at Ibokun led a team of police officers to the site to restore peace.

The remains of the deceased had been deposited at Wesley Guild Hospital morgue, Ilesa, it was gathered. 

One of the sources said: “The swiftness of the policemen prevented further loss of lives. One Hausa and a Chinese were killed. The scenario was terrible because other people sustained injuries.

“The Chinese that was beaten to a coma and the injured miners are responding to treatment at Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola confirmed the incident.