The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested four Chinese nationals along with 27 Nigerians for their alleged involvement in illegal mining activities in Jos, Plateau State.

This was disclosed in a statement by the commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The suspects were apprehended on Saturday at the premises of Jiasheng Nigeria Limited, located along Mangu Road, in the Dura Rayfield area of Jos. According to Oyewale, the arrests followed credible intelligence linking the company to unlawful mining activities in the region.

Among those detained were suppliers found in possession of unprocessed solid minerals, suspected to have been illegally mined. The EFCC believes that the group was involved in a well-organized operation to extract valuable resources without proper authorization, thereby undermining the state’s mining regulations.

During the raid, the EFCC also recovered a truck loaded with eight bags of processed monazite, weighing a total of 1,000 kilograms. Each bag is estimated to be worth N4 million, highlighting the scale of the illegal operation.

The EFCC spokesperson further revealed that investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the criminal activities and those involved. He assured the public that the suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigations are completed, and appropriate legal action will follow.

This arrest underscores the EFCC’s commitment to curbing illegal mining and other economic crimes in Nigeria, which have been detrimental to the country’s economy and natural resource management. The commission has urged members of the public to report any suspicious activities related to illegal mining to the authorities.

Illegal mining has become a growing concern in Plateau State and other parts of Nigeria, leading to significant economic losses and environmental degradation. The Nigerian government has been ramping up efforts to tackle this issue through intensified surveillance and enforcement operations, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies such as the EFCC.