A Chinese expatriate, identified as Kuang Zhang, and a Hausa miner, Musa Abdullahi, have lost their lives following a fight at a mining site in Idoko village, in the Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State.
The PUNCH learnt that the incident happened around 4.30 pm on Tuesday when a fight broke out between some Hausa labourers and Chinese miners.
A security source told our 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 added that 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 the hospital,” he added.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, who confirmed the incident, 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 Abdullahi 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.
