Niger State's Commissioner for Mineral Resources orders the arrest of four Chinese nationals operating an unauthorised mining site in Maiya'aki Village, Lapai LGA, after a tip-off to the Emir of Lapai exposed the operation.
Lapai, Niger State — September 3, 2026
The Niger State Government has ordered the arrest of four Chinese nationals following an inspection of a mining site in Maiya'aki Village, Lapai Local Government Area, amid allegations that the operation was running without state authorisation.
The State Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Hon. Alhaji Muhammad Qasim Danjuma, visited the site after receiving reports that the foreign nationals were conducting mining activities without the knowledge or approval of the state government.
The investigation began after a report was brought before the Emir of Lapai, His Royal Highness Alhaji Umar Bago Tafida III.
The monarch instructed the District Head of Abugi, Alhaji Mohammed Mustapha (popularly known as Chiroma Lapa), along with other officials, to visit the site on Tuesday, September 1, to determine who was operating it and whether the operators held the necessary authorisation.
The delegation reportedly found that the mining activities were entirely unknown to the Niger State Government and promptly reported their findings to the Commissioner for Mineral Resources.
Danjuma subsequently visited the site himself, questioning the Chinese nationals about their operations and requesting the relevant licences, permits, and other documents authorising them to mine at the location. According to the government, the operators were unable to satisfactorily produce documentation establishing their legal authority to operate.
As a result, the Commissioner ordered the arrest of four of the Chinese nationals for further investigation, while directing that those remaining at the site stay in place and that all equipment and other property be secured pending the outcome of the probe.
The arrested individuals were subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for investigation and further necessary action.
The development forms part of the Niger State Government's ongoing efforts to monitor mining activity and curb unauthorised operations across the state, and adds to a broader pattern of scrutiny facing foreign-linked mining ventures across Nigeria's North Central zone — a region whose mineral wealth, including Nasarawa's recently touted lithium investments, has increasingly attracted both legitimate foreign interest and allegations of illegal, unregulated extraction.
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