Akwa Ibom, Nigeria — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 11 individuals, including seven Chinese nationals and four Nigerians, for alleged illegal mining activities in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
According to a statement released on Monday by EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate carried out the arrests last Thursday at Emem-Asuk community.
The foreign nationals arrested are:
- Yang Chaobao (32)
- Zhong Dun Yi (33)
- Cheng Jiang (35)
- Zhong Dun Long (37)
- Pan Peiming (33)
- Lai Yiping (37)
- Zhu Lekun (35)
Their Nigerian accomplices include:
- David Israel (18)
- Jonah Bartholomew Jim (24)
- Samuel Samuel Timothy (20)
- Comfort Gabriel Ajaga (23), who served as a Mandarin translator.
The suspects were reportedly setting up mining equipment at a second illegal site while already operating at a first location where they had been mining ilmenite, a mineral locally referred to as black sand.
Comfort Gabriel Ajaga, the only female suspect, claimed her involvement was solely as a translator due to her fluency in Mandarin. “I am a student studying Chinese language at a Learning Centre in Anambra State. I only work with them as a translator,” she said.
The EFCC has confirmed that all suspects will be prosecuted upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.
