Chinese-Linked Illegal Mining Networks Allegedly Fueling Insecurity in Nigeria Exposed

A growing body of evidence has exposed how Chinese-linked illegal mining networks are allegedly fueling insecurity across Nigeria, with authorities uncovering a disturbing nexus between unregulated mineral extraction, banditry, and economic sabotage.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arraigned 15 Chinese nationals and nine Nigerians before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged illegal lithium mining operations in Nasarawa State. The defendants were arrested on May 16, 2026, in Kokona Local Government Area while allegedly mining without lawful authorisation within an area covered by Exploration Licence No. 036528-EL, held by TIMADIX Geomin Consult Ltd.

Those arraigned include Chinese nationals Liu Jiabin, Hu Yunzhong, Zhou Yinmou, Zhao Feng, Zhang Yu, Tian Shuqun, Huang Ruqian, Liu Yanliang, Yang Xiaobin, Huang Meiyun, Yuan Tao, Jia Qiuyong, Chen Menghao, Deng Peiming and Yu Yanhai. The Nigerian defendants are Thankgod Sani, Abubakar Nuhu, Jonathan Akpa Sunday, Pius Favour, Agada Joshua, Sani Osu, Haruna Asambe, Elenekou Akoete Joli, and a company, C and A International New Energy Ltd.

All defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia granted them bail on condition that they deposit their international passports and national identity cards with the court registrar. The case has been adjourned until June 18, 2026, for trial.

The arraignment is the third major criminal case involving Chinese nationals in Nigeria within a single month, following separate drug trafficking and fraud investigations.

A joint report by Nigeria’s extractive industries watchdog NEITI and the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, with UK government funding, found that foreign buyers, particularly Chinese actors, exert disproportionate influence over pricing, purchasing arrangements and export channels, negotiating directly at mine sites. The report alleged this enables systematic undervaluation of minerals, manipulation of grades and weights, and informal payment arrangements.

An estimated 80% of mining in North-West Nigeria is illegal, with activity surging between 2022 and 2024 in areas affected by banditry and terrorism. The report flagged a growing overlap between some Chinese-linked commercial interests and local conflicts in the region.

In Oyo State, analysts have linked the booming illegal mining sector directly to rising insecurity. The Old Oyo National Park, covering over 2,500 square kilometres, has become a “sovereignty gap” where criminal cartels operate freely. Illegal mining cartels, often backed by foreign financiers, have weaponised instability. Banditry and kidnapping serve a dual purpose: terrorising local communities off their ancestral lands while keeping formal state regulatory eyes away from the mining pits.

The cash generated from illicit mining directly funds the heavy logistics, intelligence gathering, and weaponry used by bandits, making victims of kidnapping an intricate part of a bloody supply chain driven by greed.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has also intensified its crackdown. A Federal High Court in Lagos recently ordered the final forfeiture of an illegal mining site, trucks loaded with mineral resources, and lithium stones recovered from Chinese nationals and Nigerians in Ogun State. Items seized included a Toyota 4Runner SUV, three trucks loaded with mineral resources, and a 40-foot container containing 3,210 bags of mica and lithium stones.

The Commandant of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards, DIG Muhammad Shehu Daligent, disclosed that bandits exploit gold mining as a major source of funding. “The bandits enslave villagers to mine gold and send agents to sell it on their behalf,” he said.

Security experts warn that Nigeria is losing vast mineral revenues to a web of illegal trading networks dominated by foreign buyers, shell companies and armed criminal groups. Nigeria’s Financial Intelligence Unit has identified illegal mining as an emerging threat to both the economy and national security.