Nigeria’s deputy minister in charge of mines and steel development has called for the death penalty for gold smuggling in the West African country.
“It is important that government put stringent measures against those that are caught to be causing huge economic sabotage to the sector and the economy,” Bloomberg quoted Kelechi Ekugo as saying.
Lawmakers in Nigeria are investigating the alleged loss of $9-billion a year to illegal mining of gold in the country.
Ekugo said harsher punishments were needed to stop the loss of revenue due to gold smuggling.
Bloomberg quoted the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative as saying that the country has large deposits of gold, gemstones, zinc, iron ore, and lead, but these were being extracted on a small-scale basis.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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