The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arraigns 24 people—15 Chinese nationals and nine Nigerians—in Abuja over alleged illegal mining activities in Nasarawa State. Multiple outlets report that the suspects are brought before a court following investigations into mining operations described as unlawful. The claims focus on alleged lithium mining at or near a site officials describe as licensed, but the authorities say the suspects operated without the necessary lawful authorisation. One report characterises the case as illegal mining generally, while others specify the alleged mineral as lithium.
Across the reports, the NSCDC is presented as the agency leading the prosecution and bringing the charges, with the defendants accused of violating relevant regulations governing mining. The outlets also indicate that the matter is at the court stage, after arraignment, and that the charges relate to the legality of the mining activities and authorisation to conduct the work. The reports do not provide details in the shared summaries on the defendants’ responses to the charges or the court’s ruling at the time of publication.
