China has rejected allegations by five United States congressmen that it is sponsoring illegal mining and financing militant groups in Nigeria. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chinese Embassy in Abuja described the claims as completely baseless and expressed strong dissatisfaction with what it called false accusations contained in a proposed US bill.
The legislation, titled the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, was introduced by Republican lawmakers Riley Moore of West Virginia, Chris Smith of New Jersey, Bill Huizenga of Michigan, Brian Mast of Florida and Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida. The bill links alleged Chinese illegal mining operations in Nigeria to terrorism financing and accuses Chinese nationals of paying protection money to armed groups.
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Responding, the embassy said China requires its nationals to comply with Nigerian mining regulations and maintains zero tolerance for illegal activity. It added that most Chinese mining companies in Nigeria operate within the law, contribute to local communities and support economic development. The embassy also said Chinese firms have been victims of terrorist activity and pledged continued cooperation with Nigerian authorities to strengthen mining governance.
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