The Mining Marshals have arrested a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, over allegations that he conspired to help Chinese nationals standing trial for illegal mining offences evade prosecution.
The agency said criminal charges have been filed against the senior police officer and other suspects for allegedly obstructing justice in a case currently before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the Mining Marshals, the Chinese defendants failed to appear in court for the fourth consecutive hearing. Although their counsel informed the court that they had been involved in a road accident, no medical report or documentation from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was presented to support the claim.
Following their repeated absence, Justice M. S. Liman revoked the defendants’ bail and issued bench warrants for their arrest.
The agency alleged that intelligence gathered during the investigation revealed that CSP Oyewumi, in collaboration with other police officers and an immigration official currently under investigation, facilitated the escape of two of the defendants through the Nigeria-Cameroon border before the warrants were issued.
Investigators further alleged that the officer was making arrangements to help another defendant, identified as Ren Quan Chen, flee the country through the same route.
Acting on intelligence, operatives of the Mining Marshals reportedly traced Chen to an apartment in the Apo Legislative Quarters area of Abuja, where they allegedly found CSP Oyewumi, a Chinese national identified as Sun Hui, and another police officer, Inspector Kingsley Monkap.
Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, described the alleged actions as a deliberate attempt to obstruct the administration of justice.
He warned that anyone who assists criminal suspects to evade prosecution becomes “an accessory after the fact,” adding that such conduct is particularly disturbing when committed by serving law enforcement officers.
Onoja noted that if the allegations are proven, the officers involved could face dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force in addition to criminal prosecution.
The Mining Marshals said all the suspects have been charged and will be re-arraigned before the court.
The agency also disclosed that the Abuja apartment linked to the suspects has been sealed as part of the investigation. It said several items, including live ammunition, suspected solid minerals, electronic devices and bank records recovered from the premises, are undergoing forensic examination.
The investigation into the alleged illegal mining operation and the attempted escape of the defendants is ongoing.