BY VICTOR BUORO – Five Chinese Nationals are among nine suspects arrested by operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged illegal mining activities in Niger State.
The arrest took place in Kaniyan Village, Mokwa Local Government Area of the state following credible intelligence.
An official statement by EFCC said the five Chinese nationals arrested are Wu Ping, Xu XianLiang, Xu Aimin, Xeu Cihuo, and Liu Changhua.
According to the statement signed by the Anti-graft agency’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the four Nigerian suspects are Ibrahim Abdullahi, Sunday Oladele, Destiny John, and Bulus Samuel.
Oyewale said the suspects were apprehended while engaging in mining operations without lawful permits, in clear violation of Nigeria’s mineral and financial regulations.
The statement said during the arrest operation, the EFCC operatives recovered a substantial cache of industrial mining equipment, heavy-duty machinery, vehicles, and chemicals used in the illegal activity.
Also, items found with the suspects include various brands of power generating sets, industrial and small crushing machines, gold melting equipment, water pumping machines, dumper trucks, pay loaders, and other mechanical tools.
Additionally, several welding machines, drilling equipment, blasting accessories including explosives and blasting caps, chemical substances, a laptop computer, detection devices, and safety mining gear, were recovered from the suspects.
The statement confirmed that the scale and sophistication of the equipment recovered point to a well-organized and extensive illegal mining operation, raising further concerns about the environmental and economic impact of such unregulated activities.
Hinting that presence of foreign nationals among the suspects also underscores the transnational dimensions of illegal mining in Nigeria, the anti-corruption agency said they will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
The statement further amplified the Commission’s resolve to combat economic and environmental crimes, warning that the full weight of the law will be applied on both local and foreign actors involved in illicit exploitation of Nigeria’s natural resources.
While urging members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious mining activities in their communities, the EFCC maintained that protecting Nigeria’s economic integrity remains a collective responsibility.
