Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 14 Chinese nationals and one Nigerian over alleged illegal lithium processing at four facilities in Ogere, Ogun State, in the country’s south-west.
The agency announced the arrests on 26 October, saying its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 carried out the operation on 23 October after intelligence gathering and surveillance,
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said operatives uncovered four illegal lithium processing plants during the raid. The commission said the suspects were apprehended at the sites, although it has not disclosed their identities, the alleged ownership of the plants, or the specific charges they may face.
Officers recovered bags of lithium-bearing rocks, 18 mobile devices, four laptop computers, two decoders, a television remote control and a trailer truck. The EFCC said the items were seized as part of the ongoing investigation.
“The suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations,” the commission said, adding that inquiries were still under way.
The operation comes as Nigeria seeks to regulate its fast-growing lithium sector. The country holds substantial lithium deposits, a mineral increasingly sought for rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, electronics and renewable-energy storage.
Nigeria’s lithium resources have attracted interest from local and foreign investors as global demand expands. However, authorities and industry observers have raised concerns about unlicensed extraction and processing, lost public revenue, environmental damage and weak enforcement across the extractive sector.
