Nigerian security operatives have arrested 13 Chinese nationals for ''offences bordering on illegal mining.''
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says its officers apprehended the suspects in the central city of Illorin ''following credible intelligence.''
They are accused of engaging in ''activities which included but not limited to, illegal mining and non-payment of royalties to the Federal Government as required by law.''
The suspected illegal miners were without ‘work permit’ and that they ''only entered Nigeria with visitor's visa,'' the agency said in a statement on Thursday night.
Numerous sites
The Chinese nationals would be prosecuted ''upon the conclusion of the investigations,'' it added.
The Chinese have been allegedly operating illegal mining sites in various parts of Kwara state and that they were workers of a Chinese firm known as W. Mining Global Service Limited.
''It was gathered that the company was using illegally mined granite to produce marble for sale locally in Nigeria,'' the EFCC said. The suspects have not commented publicly yet.
In recent years, there has been growing presence of Chinese in various economic activities in Nigeria including mining of gold and other solid minerals.
