Nigeria has warned that foreign nationals associated with funding banditry would be prosecuted for economic sabotage and for waging war against the Nigerian state.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, gave the warning in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, in Abuja.
Alake said that the warning followed preliminary reports of non-Nigerians involvement in the mining business as funders of such operations.
The warning is also in response to reports of 12 miners allegedly killed by bandits in the Ungwan-Magro community of Shiroro Local Government Area in North Central Niger State.
He urged embassies in Nigeria to monitor the activities of their nationals in the sector as allegations of criminal conduct could pose serious threats to bilateral relations between Nigeria and other countries.
He said that mining operations in the area have been banned as part of measures to fish out the perpetrators of the crime.
“No form of mining will be allowed to occur at the scene of the attack until security agencies have concluded investigations into the attack,” he said.
The minister condemned the act and vowed to avenge the deaths of the miners, stating that security agencies were already on the trail of the perpetrators and would soon bring them to justice.
He further assured that security agencies would not rest until mining sites across the country were secure.
According to the minister, the agencies are determined to address the incursion of bandits and criminal elements seeking to seize mineral-rich areas for illegal mining through violence.
