CSP, Immigration official under probe over alleged Chinese suspects’ escape plot

A Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, has been arrested by the Mining Marshals over allegations that he attempted to help Chinese nationals facing trial for illegal mining offences evade justice in Nasarawa State.

The Mining Marshals disclosed that criminal charges have been filed against the senior police officer alongside other suspects for allegedly obstructing justice in connection with the ongoing prosecution of the foreign nationals.

The Chinese defendants are standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged illegal mining activities. However, they reportedly failed to appear in court for the fourth consecutive hearing.

Their lawyer told the court that the defendants were involved in a road accident, but no medical report or documentation from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was presented to support the claim.

Following the repeated absence of the defendants, Justice M. S. Liman revoked their bail and issued bench warrants for their arrest.

According to the Mining Marshals, intelligence reports indicated that CSP Oyewumi, in collaboration with other police officers and an immigration official currently under investigation, allegedly facilitated the escape of two of the defendants through the Nigeria-Cameroon border before the court issued the arrest warrants.

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The agency further alleged that the officer was making arrangements to help another defendant, identified as Ren Quan Chen, flee through the same route.

Acting on the court’s directive, operatives tracked Chen to an apartment in the Apo Legislative Quarters of Abuja.

During the operation, the Mining Marshals said they found CSP Oyewumi, a Chinese woman identified as Sun Hui, and another police officer, Inspector Kingsley Monkap, at the residence.

Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, described the alleged actions as a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice, warning that anyone who assists criminal suspects in evading prosecution becomes “an accessory after the fact.”

He noted that such conduct is particularly serious when allegedly committed by serving law enforcement officers and could attract dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force if the allegations are proven.

The Mining Marshals said all the suspects have been charged and will be re-arraigned before the court.

The agency also disclosed that the apartment linked to the investigation has been sealed, while items recovered from the premises—including live ammunition, suspected rare minerals, electronic devices and bank records—are currently undergoing forensic examination as part of ongoing investigations.