The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested two Chinese nationals and six Nigerians for their alleged involvement in illegal mining activities in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
The suspects — Zhang Hang Lin, Gao Pei Hai, Matthew Mathias, Oluwaseun Amoo, Wasiu Ademola Alao, Ajibola Nurudeen, Ibrahim Yinusa, and Saidu Shuaibu — were picked up by operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate on Friday, May 9, 2025, following credible intelligence and surveillance.
At the time of arrest, EFCC operatives recovered three trucks filled with sacks of suspected lithium powder and other solid minerals yet to be identified. Also recovered were a Toyota 4Runner SUV, mobile phones, passports, ATM cards, samples of low-grade lithium, LED flashlights, and several documents.
The suspects are currently under investigation and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
This latest operation is part of EFCC’s intensified efforts to clamp down on illegal mining and foreign criminal networks in Nigeria. In January, the commission arraigned 13 Chinese nationals for alleged cybercrimes, including attempts to destabilise Nigeria’s constitutional structure.
Similarly, in February, the EFCC arraigned 20 more foreigners—15 Filipinos, one Indonesian, and four Chinese—for cybercrime-related offenses. These were part of a larger group of 193 foreign nationals and 599 Nigerians arrested during a raid in Victoria Island, Lagos, in December 2024.
The suspects were accused of accessing computer systems illegally and employing Nigerian youths for identity theft schemes. They were arraigned before Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The EFCC has vowed to continue its crackdown on illegal activities threatening Nigeria’s economy and national security.
