Court orders forfeiture of Ogun mining site, trucks linked to illegal mining syndicate

A federal high court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of assets recovered from suspected illegal miners, including Chinese nationals and Nigerians, to the federal government.

Justice Daniel Osiagor gave the ruling following an application filed by the Lagos zonal directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The forfeited assets include a mining site in Ode-Remo, Ogun state, a Toyota 4Runner SUV, two trucks loaded with mica and lithium stones, and a 40-foot container containing thousands of bags of mineral resources.

The EFCC told the court that the suspects were allegedly involved in the illegal mining and export of mica and lithium stones from different parts of the country.

According to the anti-graft agency, the minerals were transported to a processing site in Ogun State before being prepared for export through Lagos ports and airports.

Court documents revealed that EFCC operatives carried out a sting operation on May 9, 2025, leading to the arrest of two Chinese nationals and six Nigerians at the site.

Items recovered during the operation included trucks loaded with mineral resources and a container holding over 3,000 bags of suspected lithium and mica stones.

The commission also argued that the seized items were at risk of deterioration due to weather conditions and could lose economic value if left unused.

After reviewing the evidence presented, Justice Osiagor granted the application and ordered the disposal of the assets.

The court further directed that proceeds from the sale of the forfeited properties be paid into an interest-bearing account pending the conclusion of the criminal trial involving the suspects.