The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained five Chinese nationals suspected of illegal mining in Ndito-Eka-Iba village, Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Dele Oyewale, EFCC Spokesperson, confirmed the arrests in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. The arrests were conducted by the Special Task Force on Illegal Mining at the EFCC’s Zonal office in Uyo.
The detentions followed credible intelligence about illicit mining activities by foreign companies in the Eket and Ibeno Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom.
The arrested individuals include Zhon Qinping, apprehended on September 10, and Li Yi, Xie Bin, Chen Mou Zhou, and Chen Zeng, who were arrested on August 29. They were found at an illegal mining site where a mineral suspected to be ilmenite, a titanium-iron oxide mineral, was being extracted.
The suspects are expected to face legal charges once the investigation is completed.