Chinese Expatriate, identified as Kuang Zhang and a Hausa Miner, Musa Abdullahi, have lost their lives during a fracas between Hausa Miners and Chinese expatriates at a mining site in Idoko village in the Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State.
Also, one Chinese expatriate was beaten to coma during the fracas while another Hausa man reportedly sustained bullet wound.
AMILOADED gathered that the incident occurred around 4:30pm on Tuesday when a fight broke out between Hausa labourers and Chinese miners.
It was learnt that the fracas broke when a team of Chinese miners stormed the mining site at Idoko village with Civil Defence Corps and some policemen to stop the Hausa men from mining on the site.
A security source told AMILOADED correspondent that some riot policemen and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps who escorted two Chinese Expatriates to the mining site had shot into the air to scare away the Hausa miners.
He disclosed that one one of the shots, however, hit a Hausa miner and killed him on the spot, while one other was injured.
“The Chinese men, who were already scared, ran into the bush. But the miners seized and beat them to a pulp before more security men deployed arrived in the area rescued them. I learnt one of the two expatriates died before reaching hospital,” he added.
It was gathered that the injured victims have been receiving treatment at the Westley Guild Hospital, Ilesha while the two corpses were also deposited at the same hospital.
Sources revealed that security operatives have been deployed to the site to ensure normalcy.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, said the police had restored normalcy in the area.
Opalola said some Hausa miners were already at the mining site when the two Chinese expatriates, escorted by riot policemen and some NSCDC operatives, arrived at the scene and ordered the workers to leave.
She said the Chinese claimed that the Federal Government and the Osun State Government had awarded them a licence to work in the area.
“But the Hausa miners refused to vacate the premises and fighting ensued. One Abdulhahi Musa was shot dead and a Chinese, Kuang Zhang, was also killed. The corpses were deposited at the morgue of the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa,” she added.
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