In the same vein, the company's host community, Kurebe in the Shiroro Local Government Area of the state, described the allegation as "fabricated, malicious and deliberately injurious story."
A Chinese mining company, Ming Xin, accused of conniving with bandits in Nigeria's Niger State has debunked the allegation, calling it "a campaign of calumny being waged by poor competitors."
In the same vein, the company's host community, Kurebe in the Shiroro Local Government Area of the state, described the allegation as "fabricated, malicious and deliberately injurious story."
On September 16, 2023, there were reports that the Chinese-allied miners bribed Dogo Gide terror group to access mining sites in Niger State.
Chinese-affiliated miners operating under the licences of Eso Terra Investment Limited and Majelo Global Resources Limited were said to have allegedly plundered the country’s natural resources at Kurebe and other surrounding villages while bribing armed bandits faction of Dogo Gide.
Reacting to the allegation on Friday, Ming Xin, formally known as Eso Terra, told SaharaReporters that officials of the company had no links with any terror group.
Also reacting in a detailed document addressed to the Commissioner of Police in Niger State, community leaders from Kurebe, absolved the Chinese company of any wrong doing.
The document seen by SaharaReporters was jointly signed by Haruna Salihu Kurebe (community leader), Jamilu Abubakar Kurebe (Secretary, APC Shiroro LGA), Hamza Datti (former councilor, Kurebe ward) and Musa Aliyu Kurebe.
"We will like to bring to your attention a fabricated, malicious and deliberately injurious claim which among others alleged that a mining company in our area, namely Ming Xin is paying bandits to access mining sites.
"This story has done harm to the existing cordial relationship between the mining company and the people of Kurebe. By this letter we want to assert without any equivocation that the story has no single iota of truth. We write to affirm the innocence of this company and state clearly that they have never been involved in such act in whatever way.
"The consultant of Ming Xin, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu Arzuka and the site manager, Adamu Ibrahim Usman are people well known and deeply familiar to us," the letter read in part.
They further explained that the company lost six staff the last time terrorists attacked Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State. Even as of now, one of the company's drivers is being held captive by the bandits.
Accordingly, the leaders urged the public to discountenance the publication.