Court Jails Two Chinese Nationals Over Illegal Mining, Orders Forfeiture of Minerals

• A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced two Chinese nationals to five years’ imprisonment each for illegally mining and attempting to export Nigeria’s mineral resources without lawful authority.

The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced two Chinese nationals, Zhang Lin and Gao Hai, to five years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy and the illegal mining and exportation of Nigeria’s solid mineral resources.

The conviction followed their prosecution by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Akintayo Aluko.

According to the anti-graft agency, the defendants were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy and the unlawful possession and attempted export of mineral resources without the approval of the appropriate authorities.

One of the charges alleged that the duo, alongside another suspect, Gao Pei Yu, who is currently at large, conspired to illegally export mica products, copper-bearing and lithium-bearing mineral resources from Nigeria with the intent to defraud the Federal Government of revenue.

The charge stated that the offence contravened Section 1(8)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983, and is punishable under Section 8 of the same Act.

When the charges were read in court, both defendants pleaded guilty.

Following their guilty pleas, the prosecution, led by H. U. Kofarnaisa, presented the investigating officer, Matthew Orogwu, who reviewed the facts of the case and tendered documentary evidence before the court.

After considering the evidence, Justice Aluko found both men guilty on all five counts.

The court sentenced each defendant to five years’ imprisonment on each count, with an option of paying a ₦50 million fine covering all the counts.

In addition to the prison terms and fines, the court ordered that all recovered mineral resources linked to the case be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The EFCC said the conviction underscores its commitment to tackling illegal mining, protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice.