A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced two Chinese nationals, Zhang Hong Lin and Gao Pei Hai, to 25 years imprisonment each for illegally attempting to export Nigeria’s strategic mineral resources.
Justice Akintayo Aluko delivered the judgment after finding the two defendants guilty on all five charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The charges included conspiracy, unlawful possession of strategic minerals and attempted exportation of the resources without lawful approval.
The court sentenced each defendant to 25 years on each of the five counts, with the option of paying a ₦10 million fine per count. The judge also ruled that the sentences would take effect from the date of their arrest.
In addition, Justice Aluko ordered that all the mineral resources recovered in connection with the case be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The two convicts were arraigned alongside a third suspect, Gao Pei Yu, who remains at large.
According to the EFCC, the defendants conspired to defraud the Federal Government by attempting to export strategic minerals without obtaining the necessary authorisation.
The anti-graft agency said the offences, allegedly committed in Lagos, violated the provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983.
Among the minerals involved were Muscovite, Lepidolite, Spodumene, Petalite, Bornite, Cuprite, Anhydrite, Quartz, and Magnesite.
After reviewing the evidence presented during the trial, Justice Aluko ruled that the prosecution had successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and entered judgment against the defendants.
