Court jails two Chinese nationals five years for illegal mining, export of minerals

The Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced two Chinese nationals, Zhang Hong Lin and Gao Pei Hai, to five years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy and the illegal mining and export of solid minerals from Nigeria.

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

The defendants were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy and the unlawful possession and attempted export of mineral resources without lawful authorisation.

According to the EFCC, the two convicts, alongside one Gao Pei Yu, who is currently at large, conspired in 2025 to illegally export mica, copper-bearing and lithium-bearing mineral resources from Nigeria without the approval of the appropriate authorities, thereby depriving the Federal Government of legitimate revenue.

The anti-graft agency said the offence contravened the provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983.

Both defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.

Following their guilty pleas, EFCC prosecuting counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, called 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 convicted the two defendants on all five counts.

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

The court also ordered the forfeiture of all recovered mineral resources to the Federal Government.

The EFCC said the conviction underscores ongoing efforts to tackle illegal mining, protect Nigeria’s solid minerals sector and curb the unlawful exploitation and export of the country’s natural resources.