By Annette Ikponmwonba | October 26, 2026
Key Points
· Operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 have arrested 14 Chinese nationals and one Nigerian at four illegal lithium processing plants in the Ogere area of Ogun State
· The EFCC announced the arrests on Monday via its X handle
· The suspects were arrested on Friday, October 23, 2026, following credible intelligence and surveillance
· Bags of lithium rocks, 18 mobile devices, four laptops, two decoders, a television remote control and a trailer truck were recovered
· The suspects will be charged in court once investigations are concluded
· The commission also recently arraigned two lovers over the alleged theft of N35.92m in Benin, Edo State
Main Story
Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested 14 Chinese and one Nigerian at four illegal lithium processing plants in the Ogere area of Ogun State. The anti-graft agency announced this on Monday via its X handle, saying the operation was carried out when its operatives busted the plants.
According to the commission, the 15 suspects were arrested on Friday, October 23, 2026, following credible intelligence and surveillance. “Upon their arrest, bags of lithium rocks, 18 mobile devices, four computer laptops, two decoders, a television remote control, and a trailer truck were recovered from the suspects,” the statement read, The EFCC added that the suspects will be charged in court upon conclusion of investigations.
The Issues
The bust points to the continuing problem of illegal mining and processing of solid minerals in Nigeria. Lithium is a valuable resource, critical to battery production, and illegal operations deprive the country of revenue while raising questions about oversight, licensing and how raw minerals leave the country.
The arrest of 14 foreign nationals alongside one Nigerian also raises questions about how such operations are set up and who facilitates them locally. The recovery of a trailer truck suggests the minerals were being moved in bulk, which points to an organised chain rather than a small-scale activity, The details so far come from the EFCC’s own statement. The suspects’ names, the scale of the operations and the specific charges they may face have not been disclosed, and the suspects have not been tried.
What’s Being Said
The EFCC said the arrests followed credible intelligence and surveillance, and listed the items recovered from the plants. The commission has not said how long the plants had been operating or how much lithium was processed, No statement from the suspects, their representatives or the Chinese embassy was included in the report.
What’s Next
The suspects are expected to be charged in court after investigations conclude. Attention will turn to the specific charges and whether more arrests follow, including local collaborators or buyers, The case may also prompt fresh scrutiny of enforcement in the solid minerals sector and of how illegal processing sites operate in areas like Ogere.
Bottom Line
The EFCC’s raid on four illegal lithium plants in Ogun, with 15 arrests, shows continued enforcement against illegal mining, though the full scale of the operation and the charges awaiting the suspects remain to be disclosed.
