Senator for Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, Shehu Sani has charged the Federal Government to explain the rising presence of Chinese miners in Nigeria’s hinterlands.
Sani said this in a Sunday tweet after the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) disclosed on Saturday that it had rescued seven abducted Chinese nationals in Kaduna State.
The air force said that the Chinese nationals were abducted from a mining site in Niger State in June.
“In what could be described as a daring and clinical military operations, Special Forces (SF) under the 271 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Detachment, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, carried out a rescue operation in the early hours of 17 December 2022 leading to the rescue of 7 Chinese expatriates earlier kidnapped and held hostage by terrorists.
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“The rescued Chinese victims are believed to have been kidnapped in June 2022 by terrorists while working on a mining site in Ajata-Aboki, Gurmana Ward of Shiroro Local Government, Niger State.
“The Combat Search and Rescue operation, which consisted of 35 Special Forces was conducted in the cover of night at Kanfani Doka and Gwaska general Areas leading to the terrorists abandoning their enclaves, weapons and kidnapped Chinese victims while fleeing for their lives due to the superior fire power of the special forces.
“After the successful operations, the 7 Chinese victims were flown to the 271 NAF Detachment Medical Centre for evaluation were 2 of the victims were stabilized. Subsequently, the 7 victims were flown to the NAF Base Medical Hospital, Kaduna for further medical investigations,” Director of Public Relations & Information of NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet said in a statement.
Reacting to the news in a Sunday weet, Sani congratulated NAF on the rescue of the expatriates.
However, he called on the Federal Government to explain to Nigerians what the Chinese expatriates were doing in those remote parts.
“The rescue of the kidnapped seven Chinese miners by the Nigerian Air Force is commendable.
“The FG should be more transparent on the activities of Chinese miners in Niger State and other places.
“Many people don’t know what those Chinese are doing in our hinterlands,” Sani tweeted.
See tweet:
The rescue of the kidnapped seven Chinese miners by the Nigerian Air Force is commendable.The FG should be more transparent on the activities of Chinese miners in Niger State and other places.Many people don’t know what those Chinese are doing in our hinterlands.
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) December 18, 2022