Lagos Court Sentences Two Chinese Nationals to Five Years for Illegal Mining

The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and 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 Nigeria’s solid minerals.

Justice Akintayo Aluko delivered the judgment after the two men pleaded guilty to a five-count charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charges bordered on conspiracy, unlawful possession of mineral resources and the illegal export of solid minerals without the approval of the appropriate authorities.

According to the EFCC, the convicts, alongside a third suspect, Gao Pei Yu, who remains at large, conspired in 2025 to illegally export mica, copper-bearing and lithium-bearing mineral resources from Nigeria with the intention of depriving the Federal Government of revenue from the country’s solid minerals sector.

The anti-graft agency said the defendants were arrested following investigations into the unlawful possession and attempted export of the mineral resources without obtaining the necessary licences or approvals from the relevant government authorities.

During the proceedings, both defendants pleaded guilty to all five counts.

Following their plea, the prosecution, led by H. U. Kofarnaisa, called the investigating officer, Matthew Orogwu, who reviewed the facts of the case and tendered documentary evidence linking the defendants to the offences.

Justice Aluko subsequently found the two men guilty on all counts and sentenced each of them to five years’ imprisonment on each count, with the option of paying a ₦50 million fine covering all the charges.

In addition to the prison sentences and fines, the court ordered that all mineral resources recovered during the investigation be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The forfeiture order covers the mica, copper-bearing and lithium-bearing minerals seized from the defendants during the EFCC’s investigation.

The conviction is the latest in a series of enforcement actions aimed at tackling illegal mining and the unlawful export of Nigeria’s solid minerals.

Authorities have repeatedly warned that illegal mining deprives the country of significant revenue, fuels environmental degradation and weakens government efforts to properly regulate the solid minerals sector.

The EFCC said it will continue working with relevant agencies to investigate, prosecute and dismantle networks involved in the illegal exploitation and export of Nigeria’s mineral resources.

The judgment comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to reposition the solid minerals sector as a major contributor to national revenue and economic diversification.

Officials say stricter enforcement of mining regulations and tougher penalties for illegal operators are expected to discourage illicit mining activities and protect Nigeria’s valuable mineral resources from exploitation.