Matilda Omonaiye/
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 11 individuals, including seven Chinese nationals and four Nigerians, for engaging in illegal mining operations in Akwa Ibom State.
According to a statement issued yesterday by EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, operatives from the Uyo Zonal Directorate carried out the arrests on Thursday, July 24, 2025, in the Emem-Asuk community, Eastern Obolo Local Government Area.
The suspects were apprehended while operating two unlicensed mining sites. At the time of their arrest, they were actively mining a mineral locally known as “black sand,” identified as ilmenite (a titanium-iron oxide mineral) at one site, and setting up equipment to begin operations at a second location.
The foreign nationals arrested have been identified as Yang Chaobao (32), Zhong Dun Yi (33), Cheng Jiang (35), Zhong Dun Long (37), Pan Peiming (33), Lai Yiping (37), and Zhu Lekun (35). Their Nigerian counterparts include David Israel (18), Jonah Bartholomew Jim (24), Samuel Samuel Timothy (20), and a 23-year-old female translator, Comfort Gabriel Ajaga.
Ajaga, the only female among the suspects, told investigators that her role was limited to serving as a translator due to her knowledge of Mandarin, a widely spoken language in China.
“I am a student, and I’m studying Chinese at a learning centre in Anambra State. I only work with them as a translator,” she said during preliminary questioning.
The EFCC stated that the suspects were mining without the necessary licences or regulatory approvals required by Nigerian law.
“All the suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations,” the statement concluded.
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