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Background Information
In the mineral-rich terrains of Zamfara State, a deeply troubling story has been unfolding since 1999. At its centre is Mr Tang, a Chinese businessman who initially entered the state presenting himself as a researcher offering support with mineral mapping and geological surveys. At the time, his presence appeared benign, even promising, as the state explored new opportunities in its untapped natural resources.
Mr Tang’s early activities were cloaked in academic and technical pretence. He conducted surveys and developed connections with key actors within the mining space. While his interactions at the time (1999 to 2007) remained largely undocumented, they laid the groundwork for his subsequent ascent. His role rapidly evolved from researcher to resource exploiter. By 2007, Mr Tang had already repositioned himself at the intersection of politics, minerals deposits, and manipulation.
This period marked the gradual erosion of regulation in Zamfara's mining sector. What began as a covert relationship between Mr Tang and state actors later grew into full-scale complicity, enabling him to operate with impunity and disregard for both law and the lives of those affected by the environmental consequences of illegal mining.
Mr Tang: The Chinese Businessman Behind Zamfara’s Mining Scandals
Mr Tang, whose name has become synonymous with controversy in Zamfara State, has over the years grown into a shadowy figure whose unchecked activities have exposed the weaknesses of regulatory institutions and the willingness of political actors to trade public safety for personal gain.
What began as a modest entry into mineral deposits mapping, gradually turned into a well-protected operation that has left behind poisoned lands, wasted public funds, and emboldened criminal networks. He is no longer just a foreign businessman who exploited an opportunity, he is now seen by many as someone whose actions have helped in shaping crisis that continued to threaten lives and livelihoods across the state.
This report follows his path, shedding light on the individuals that enabled him, the communities that suffered in silence, and the political environment that allowed him to return despite everything that is known about his past.
A Dubious Beginning in 1999
Mr Tang initially arrived in Zamfara without much fanfare, presenting himself as an independent researcher with interest in mapping mineral deposits. During this period, his interaction with the administration of the then Governor Alhaji Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura remained largely undocumented, although it is widely acknowledged that his presence and intentions were known to some within the government. While he showed little visible interest in exploration at the time, he quietly gathered extensive data on the mineral-rich backgrounds of Zamfara State. Unfortunately, there was no institutional accountability, no transparency, and no official documentation to verify what exactly Mr Tang was doing during these early years. His dealings were shrouded in secrecy, and the absence of proper oversight allowed him to uncover how to monopolise access to vast mining sites with near-total impunity.
The Birth of a Criminal Enterprise
The transition from researcher to illegal miner was not immediate but certainly deliberate. It was during the administration of Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi between 2007 and 2011 that Mr Tang’s activities gained a more structured and state-supported form. Under this administration, a contract worth over 2 million dollars was awarded to him to procure mining equipments through a newly established company, Shenzhen Investment Group Co Ltd. it is a well-known fact within the official circles that this company was formed at the instance of Mr Tang and was jointly owned with 70% ownership for Zamfara State Government and 30% for Mr Tang’s investment group.
Despite the substantial financial outlay, there is documented evidence proving that Mr Tang never supplied the promised equipments. Shenzhen Investment Group Co Ltd quickly became a tool of corruption and economic sabotage, with Mr Tang using this company as a vehicle for continued illegal mining activities under the guise of legitimacy, as his activities were neither environmentally regulated nor federally licensed. For avoidance of doubt, there are documented evidences including official correspondences, detailed bank records that captured lodgments into certain accounts and the intrigues that unfolded both before and after the shady deals. These evidences will be made available in the forthcoming revelations.
The Hidden Cost: Poisoned Lands and Lives
Perhaps the most devastating consequence of Mr Tang’s unregulated activities was the outbreak of lead poisoning in Anka and Bagega communities. The health disaster, which attracted international attention, was traced to illegal mining practices that ignored environmental safety protocols. Yet, Mr Tang faced no repercussions, shielded by the very officials who were meant to protect public interest.
During this period, Mukhtar Lugga, who served as the Commissioner for Environment under Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari between 2011 and 2019, emerged as a key enabler of Mr Tang’s operations. Lugga, who currently serve as the Chief of Staff in the government of Governor Dauda Lawal, was allegedly aware of and complicit in these activities. He is reported to have worked closely with Mr Tang, despite petitions submitted to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission detailing their collusion.
Fueling Violence: The Banditry Connection
There is strong evidence linking the activities of Mr Tang with the early rise of banditry and kidnapping in Zamfara State. Among rural communities, it is widely believed that Mr Tang provided financial support to early bandit groups as a way of securing protection for his illegal mining interests. This financial backing enabled these groups to acquire arms, expand their reach, and embolden their activities. What began as protection rackets soon evolved into a full-scale security crisis, with the same bandits becoming uncontrollable. The violence escalated and spread, attracting other criminal groups who found banditry and kidnapping increasingly lucrative.
This link between illegal mining and armed violence provides critical insight into the broader insecurity engulfing Zamfara and neighbouring Kebbi, Sokoto Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states. Mr Tang’s role, though rarely discussed in public forums, is an open secret among local residents who saw firsthand the rise of deadly criminal networks tied to mining sites. His pursuit of mineral wealth not only poisoned lands and rivers but also laid the financial groundwork for decades of terror that continue to claim innocent lives across the region.
The Disgrace of Continuity
Following the end of the Yari administration, Governor Muhammad Bello Matawalle, who served from 2019 to 2023, set up a Project Verification Committee led by late Alhaji Ahmad Zabarma. The committee's findings clearly indicted Mr Lugga and exposed the depth of financial and environmental damage orchestrated by Mr Tang. Notably, Mr Tang refused to appear before the committee, fleeing the state while still owing millions of dollars in unaccounted mining funds.
Despite these damning revelations, the current administration of Governor Dauda Lawal has welcomed Mr Tang back into the state. Masterminded by Chief of Staff Mukhtar Lugga and Secretary to the State Government Abubakar Nakwada, Mr Tang’s return was arranged during a visit to China, where these officials acted as an advance party prior to the Governor’s arrival . With no fresh licence and no proper scrutiny, Mr Tang has resumed operations at mining sites previously shut down due to lead poisoning.
A Return to Danger
The return of Mr Tang to Zamfara State poses a direct threat to both the environment and public health. His activities, previously linked to lead contamination and the displacement of rural communities, are once again being conducted with complete disregard for federal mining laws and environmental safeguards. There are renewed fears that another wave of poisoning, similar to the tragic events in Bagega, may be imminent.
Even more troubling is the revelation that Mukhtar Lugga and his associates misled Governor Dauda Lawal into believing that Mr Tang’s operations are legitimate and beneficial. One case involved N261,121,280 million naira meant for mining exploration in Damri, Manu, and Maru, where a contractor, was fully paid but failed to mobilise to site.
Shenzhen Exploration and Minerals Ltd, now a ghost of its original promise, exists more on paper than on the ground. Although there are shipping documents and ministry records suggesting equipment was procured, no physical evidence supports the claim. The absence of such equipment raises fundamental questions. If nothing was delivered, what justifies Mr Tang’s return, and who in the corridors of power stands to benefit from his return?
Mukhtar Lugga & Abubakar Nakwada: The Insiders Who Brought Mr Tang Back
One troubling question now haunts Zamfara: why did Mukhtar Lugga, the Chief of Staff, and Abubakar Nakwada, the Secretary to the State Government, fail to tell Governor Dauda Lawal the full story about Mr Tang?
Lugga, who had previously worked with Mr Tang during the height of illegal mining and the deadly lead poisoning outbreak in Anka and Bagega, had been named in a petition to EFCC and was clearly indicted by a government verification committee. Though he submitted a letter in his defence, it was dismissed by many as a poor attempt to clear himself.
Rather than distancing himself from the scandal, Lugga sought out Nakwada, who, despite being expected to be the engine room of the administration, has repeatedly shown through his actions that he is instead dragging it down. It’s hardly surprising that when Lugga sought someone to collude with, he turned to Nakwada. Given his strategic position, Nakwada should have conducted proper background checks before allowing someone with such a notorious past back into the fold. Instead, both men travelled ahead of the Governor to China, where arrangements were finalised to reintroduce Mr Tang without fresh licensing, due diligence, or federal approval.
Now, lead poisoning has returned. The Federal Government has just ordered all illegal miners to vacate Zamfara as communities once again face the threat of contaminated land and water.
Conclusion: A Call for Accountability
Mr Tang's activities over the last 25 years have left behind a trail of corruption, environmental disaster, economic sabotage, and public betrayal. His return to Zamfara is not a second chance, it is a looming catastrophe. That he has been granted renewed access, despite an appalling record, reflects not just a failure of governance but a deliberate manipulation of power for personal gain.
Governor Dauda Lawal must be urgently and fully briefed with complete history of this man's dealings in Zamfara State. Anything less would amount to complicity. The people of Zamfara deserve justice, transparency, and a future free from the grip of foreign profiteers and their local collaborators.
Concerned Citizens of Zamfara
Cc:
Honorable Minister of Environment
The National Security Adviser
Director General,
Department of State Services
Chairman,
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission