Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested 14 Chinese nationals and one Nigerian following a coordinated raid on four unauthorized lithium processing facilities in the Ogere area of Ogun State. ​The operation was executed on Friday, October 23, 2026, by teams from the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following extensive intelligence gathering and covert surveillance targeting illegal mineral extraction and processing operations across the zone.
​In a formal statement released on Monday, October 26, 2026, EFCC Spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed the swoop and outlined the initial findings of the anti-graft agency. During the crackdown, law enforcement officers impounded a wide array of processing materials and equipment, including several bags of raw lithium rocks, a heavy-duty trailer truck, 18 mobile devices, four laptop computers, two decoders, and a television remote control. ​Highlighting the agency’s commitment to protecting the nation’s natural resources, Oyewale noted that all 15 suspects were taken into custody directly from the four illicit sites.
He added that the suspects will be formally charged to court as soon as investigators conclude their ongoing inquiries. ​The crackdown comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny over critical energy minerals in Nigeria, where growing global demand for lithium, essential for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage systems, has led to an upsurge in unauthorised mining and processing activities across the country.
