Post #387

Extortion or Asset Seizure? ⚡️ Twelve miners were killed and three others abducted in Nigeria’s Plateau State during an attack by unidentified armed men on Tuesday, December 16. ⏩Why the attackers felt the need to kill the miners remains unclear. As a rule, criminal groups prefer to impose “taxes” on artisanal miners or demand a cut from the extracted ore as a levy. Killing such a source of income is, on the contrary, unprofitable. ⏩ The likely explanation is either that the miners refused to pay or that the initial objective was to drive them off the deposit altogether. ⏩ Artisanal miners are frequently targeted in such attacks. In the past, these incidents were mostly typical for the mineral-rich but lessdeveloped North of the country. Now, similar attacks are increasingly being reported closer to Nigeria’s central regions. ➡️ Follow to stay informed - @devilsbelow