Thirteen Chinese have been arrested by the operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over offences bordering on illegal mining activities in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
According to a statement by the anti-graft agency in Ilorin on Thursday, the offence is contrary to, and punishable under Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, 1983.
The suspects, comprising a female and 12 males, were arrested on Wednesday at the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Ilorin, following credible intelligence about their activities, which included illegal mining and non-payment of royalties to the Federal Government as required by law.
The suspects are Guo Ya Wang, 36, Lizli Hui, 42, Guo Jian Rong, 36, Lizh Shen Xianian, 37, Lishow Wu, 26, Guo Pan, 38, Lia Meiyu, 53, Guo Kai Quan, 36, and Lin Pan, 50.
Others are Ma Jan, 38, Wendy Wei Suqin, 31, Li Zhinguo Wei, 29, and Xie Zhinguo, 53.
Prior to their arrest, discrete investigations into the activities of illegal mining operators in Kwara State revealed that the operators had different illegal mining sites in almost all the 16 local government areas of the state.
Upon interrogation, the arrested suspects confessed to being workers of a Chinese company known as W. Mining Global Service Limited, situated at Olayinka in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
It was further gathered that the company was using the illegally mined crude to produce marble and sell locally within Nigeria.
Findings also revealed that some of the suspects working for the said company were without work permits but only came with a visit permit from China to Abuja and travelled by road to Ilorin.
The suspects would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigations, the statement added.
DAILY POST recalls that the acting chairman of EFCC, Abdulkarim Chukkol, lamented on Thursday, July 6, 2023, during a one-day media training for journalists in Kwara State, about the activities of illegal mining operators, describing them as a grave threat to the economy of the country.
Within the last eight months, no fewer than 80 illegal operators had been arrested by the Ilorin Zonal Command of EFCC, and 24 truckloads of assorted minerals had been impounded.
On September 10, 2022, the Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC arrested a Chinese National, Dang Deng, managing director of Sinuo Xinyang Nigeria Ltd., for being in possession of 25 tons of assorted crude minerals and got him convicted on October 19, 2022, before Justice Mohammed Sani of the Federal High Court, Ilorin.