KEY POINTS
- Niger State arrested four Chinese nationals in Lapai after they could not produce valid mining licences during a commissioner’s site inspection.
- The operation started with reports to the Emir of Lapai, and the suspects were handed to the NSCDC for investigation.
- It follows a statewide crackdown, including shut processing sites in Kontagora and earlier arrests in Minna, Katcha and Nasarawa.
Niger State has arrested four Chinese nationals over alleged illegal mining in Maiya’aki village, Lapai Local Government Area, in the latest move of a widening crackdown on unauthorised operations.
The arrests followed an on-the-spot inspection by Commissioner for Mineral Resources Muhammad Danjuma. Specifically, his visit came after the Emir of Lapai, Umar Bago Tafida III, received reports of suspected mining by foreign nationals in the village. Moreover, the emir first sent the district head of Abugi, Mohammed Mustapha, to identify the operators and check for permits.
Operators lacked valid permits
During that preliminary visit, traditional authorities reportedly found the activities unknown to the state government. Consequently, they alerted the commissioner, who traveled to the site to investigate further.
At the scene, the Chinese nationals could not produce valid licences or permits when the commissioner requested them. Therefore, he ordered four arrests and told the remaining operators to stay put while officials secured their property and equipment. Furthermore, officials handed the suspects to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for investigation and appropriate action.
Part of a wider crackdown
The case fits a broader enforcement push. In August, the commissioner warned individuals, companies and groups engaged in illegal mining to stop or face arrest and prosecution, stressing that operators must secure the required licences first. Additionally, authorities shut six suspected illegal mineral-processing sites in Kontagora in June alongside the NSCDC Mining Marshals.
Enforcement has steadily intensified. In May, officials arrested seven suspects in a residential area of Minna and seized nine motorcycles, while in April they detained two Chinese nationals at the Zuzungi site in Katcha and handed them to immigration officials.
However, the concern extends well beyond Niger State. Nationally, agencies are increasingly targeting unauthorised operators and foreign nationals, and in June, prosecutors arraigned 15 Chinese nationals and nine Nigerians in Abuja over alleged illegal lithium mining in Nasarawa State. Ultimately, the Lapai action signals a further escalation of Niger State’s campaign to force miners into compliance with Nigeria’s mining laws.
