The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the arrest of five Chinese nationals by its Uyo Zonal Command for suspected illegal mining activities at Ndito-Eka-Iba village in Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.

EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, revealed in a statement on Sunday that the suspects, identified as Zhon Qinping, Li Yi, Xie Bin, Chen Mou Zhou, and Chen Zeng, were apprehended by the Commission’s Special Task Force on August 29 and September 10. The arrests took place at an illegal mining site where a mineral, suspected to be ilmenite (a titanium-iron oxide mineral), was being mined.

The EFCC stated that the suspects will be charged to court following the completion of investigations. The statement read, “Operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested five suspected illegal Chinese miners at Ndito-Eka-Iba village, in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The arrests were made by the Special Task Force on illegal Mining at the Commission’s Zonal office in Uyo, based on credible intelligence regarding illegal mining operations by foreign companies in the Eket and Ibeno Local Government Areas.”