EFCC detains five suspected Chinese nationals over illegal mining

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended five suspected Chinese illegal miners in Ndito-Eka-Iba village, Ibieno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.

EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

He said the arrests were made by the Special Task Force on Illegal Mining at the Commission’s Zonal office in Uyo.

Oyewale stated that the arrests followed credible intelligence on foreign mining companies’ illicit activities in Eket and Ibieno Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom.

“The five arrested Chinese suspects are Zhon Qinping, apprehended on 10 September, and Li Yi, Xie Bin, Chen Mou Zhou, and Chen Zeng, arrested on 29 August.

“They were arrested at an illegal mining site, where a mineral suspected to be ilmenite, a titanium-iron oxide mineral, was being extracted.

“The suspects will face charges in court once investigations are concluded,” Oyewale said.