Saturday, July 13, 2024 -The Federal Government has arraigned eight Chinese nationalities and one Nigerian for their involvement in illegal mining activities in the Lokpaukwu community, Umuchieze, within the Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development,
Dele Alake, on Friday, said the suspects were apprehended by the mining
marshals, an elite security outfit derived from the Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps.
The marshals, under the operation, codenamed
“Operation Hayakin Kogo”, were established by the minister as part of his
seven-point agenda to clean up the mining sector.
“The establishment of the mining marshals is
a crucial step in our agenda to sanitise the mining environment and ensure that
Nigeria benefits fully from its mineral resources,” Alake was quoted as saying
in a statement by his spokesman, Segun Tomori.
According to him, the trial of the suspects
began yesterday before Justice J. K. Omotosho at the Federal High Court in
Abuja.
He added that the prosecution filed a
three-count charge, including mining without lawful authority and obstruction
of lawful mining operations.
The defendants are Shen Yongchan, Mo
Baixian, Xiao Bin, Huang Xu Fa, Ma Bingli, Yang Jian, Li Peiyin, Que Wenyong,
Hiyk Edward Desmond, and Wanda Company Limited.
After hearing pleas and arguments from both sides, the
defendants were remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre until the next court date.
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