13 Chinese nationals have been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly indulging in illegal mining activities in Ilorin, Kwara State.
This information was released by the anti-graft organization in a statement on Thursday by its head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwujaren.
The 12 male and one female suspects were detained on July 12 at the Government Reserved Area in Ilorin, according to Uwujaren.
Their detention, according to him, was the result of “credible intelligence about their activities, which included but was not limited to, illegal mining and non-payment of royalties to the Federal Government as required by law.”
Guo Wang (36), Lizli Hui (42), Guo Rong (36), Lizh Xianian (37), Lishow Wu (26), Guo Pan (38), Lia Meiyu (53), Guo Quan (36) Lin Pan (50) are the suspects.
The EFCC spokesman listed the additional suspects as Ma Jan (38), Wendy Suqin (31), Li Zhinguo Wei (29) and Xie Zhinguo (53).
Before their arrest, “discreet investigations on the activities of illegal mining operators in Kwara State revealed that the operators have different illegal mining sites in almost all of the state’s 16 local government areas,” he added.
“The arrested suspects confessed to being employees of a Chinese company called W. Mining Global Service Limited located at Olayinka in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State,” Uwujaren stated.
“It was learned that the company produced marble and sold it locally in Nigeria using oil that was illegally mined.
Findings also showed that some of the suspects employed by the aforementioned organization lacked work authorization and had simply traveled from China to Abuja with a “visit permit” before taking a road trip to Ilorin.
According to the EFCC spokesman, the suspects’ actions violated Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, 1983, and made them subject to punishment.
He stated that the suspects’ arraignments will take place after the start of the ongoing investigations.
On July 6, 2023, the acting chairman of the EFCC, Abdulkarim Chukkol, expressed regret about unlawful mining in Kwara State, calling it a serious danger to the regional and national economies, at a one-day media training for journalists in Kwara State.
The EFCC’s Ilorin Zonal Command reported that in the previous eight months, it had detained no less than 80 unlawful operators.
It also stated that it seized 24 truckloads of various minerals from unauthorized miners.
The anti-corruption agency forewarned that it would be merciless in its fight against corruption and that it would stop at nothing to dismantle the illegal mining networks that were operating all over the nation.
