EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale revealed in a statement on Sunday that the suspects were apprehended by the Commission’s Special Task Force between August 29 and September 10.
Five Chinese nationals have been detained for suspected illegal mining activities in Akwa Ibom State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale revealed in a statement on Sunday that the suspects were apprehended by the Commission’s Special Task Force between August 29 and September 10.
The arrests were made at an unlicensed mining site at Ndito-Eka-Iba village in the Ibeno Local Government Area of the state, the statement added.
The detainees—Zhon Qinping, Li Yi, Xie Bin, Chen Mou Zhou, and Chen Zeng—were caught mining ilmenite, a titanium-iron oxide mineral. Oyewale confirmed that they will be charged in court once the investigations are concluded.
Oyewale said, “Operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the EFCC have arrested five suspected illegal Chinese miners at Ndito-Eka-Iba village, in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
“The five alleged illegal miners were arrested by the 'Special Task Force on illegal Mining' at the Commission’s Zonal office in Uyo, following credible intelligence on the illegal activities of foreign mining companies within Eket and Ibeno Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State.
“They were all arrested at an illegal mining site of a mineral suspected to be ilmenite, a titanium-iron oxide mineral.”