Court jails two Chinese nationals 50 years for illegal mining

The Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced two Chinese nationals, Zhang Hong Lin and Gao Pei Hai, to a combined 50 years’ imprisonment for the illegal export of Nigeria’s mineral resources.

Justice Akintayo Aluko sentenced each defendant to 25 years in prison after finding them guilty on all five counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful possession, and attempted export of strategic minerals without proper authorisation.

The judge ruled that the sentences would run from the date of their arrest and gave each convict the option of a ₦10 million fine on each count.

The defendants were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside a third suspect, Gao Pei Yu, who is currently at large.

According to the charges, the convicts conspired to defraud the Federal Government by attempting to export valuable mineral resources — including lithium-bearing and copper-bearing materials — without obtaining the required approvals.

The offences were said to violate provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983.

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

Justice Aluko held that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, leading to the conviction and sentencing of the two defendants.