The public relations officer of the NSCDC, Babawale Afolabi, who made this known in a statement issued on Saturday said that the four Chinese nationals were arrested at an illegal mining site where lithium is sold at Karu Local Government Area of the State.
Operatives of the mining marshals of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have apprehended four Chinese nationals for engaging in illegal mining activities in Nasarawa State.
According to Babawale Afolabi, the public relations officer of the NSCDC, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, the arrests were made at an illegal mining site where lithium is being traded in Karu Local Government Area of the State.
Afolabi explained that the intensified crackdown on illegal miners by the specially trained NSCDC personnel, commissioned as Federal Government Mining Marshals, led to the discovery of the illegal mining site.
He stated, “During the sting operation, the squad apprehended four Chinese nationals who, upon preliminary investigation, confessed to running an illegal site used for selling lithium.”
The Mining Marshall Commander, Attah John Onoja, highlighted that the seizure of the minerals was conducted in accordance with the provisions of Section 146 (b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2007. He mentioned that the arrest of the Chinese nationals followed their refusal to comply with an invitation for questioning.
Onoja emphasized that an application would be submitted in court for the forfeiture of the impounded lithium minerals, with the proceeds remitted to the Federal Government.
Preliminary investigations uncovered the disposal of minerals without the required license, leading to the confession of the arrested suspects. They admitted to lacking the necessary certificate or license to engage in solid minerals trade.
The suspects were identified as operating under the business venture named HOSAN AGRO-ALLIED COMPANY LTD, which was registered for agricultural-related activities.