TWO CHINESE NATIONALS FACE CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL DEALING IN MINERAL RESOURCES IN LAGOS

The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dragged two Chinese citizens before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on charges of illegal dealings in mineral resources.

The defendants were arraigned on a five-count charge, including one that reads; “That you, ZHANG HONG LIN, GAO PEI HAI and GAO PEI YU, who is at large, sometime in 2025 in Lagos, conspired to defraud the Federal Government of Nigeria of the revenue accruing from mineral resource and without the permission of the appropriate authority.

It is alleged that they engaged in the exportation of Mica Products, Copper bearing and Lithium bearing mineral resources out of Nigeria, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983.

However, they both pleaded “not guilty” to the charges and the prosecution counsel, Bilkisu Buhari, prayed the court for a trial date and for the remand of the defendants’ in a Correctional Centre.

In his ruling, Justice Aneke rejected the prayer of the defence counsel for the remand of the accused persons in EFCC’s custody and instead ordered that they be remanded in a Correctional Centre, as he adjourned the matter till July 4, 2025 for trial.