The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced two Chinese nationals, Zhang Hong Lin and Gao Pei Hai, to 25 years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy and illegal mining of solid minerals in Nigeria.

Justice Akintayo Aluko delivered the judgment following their prosecution by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The defendants were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawful possession and exportation of mineral resources without lawful authority.

One of the charges alleged that Zhang, Gao and another Chinese national, Gao Pei Yu, who is currently at large, conspired in 2025 in Lagos to defraud the Federal Government of revenue accruing from mineral resources.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants, without the approval of the relevant authorities, engaged in the exportation of mica products as well as copper-bearing and lithium-bearing mineral resources out of Nigeria.

The alleged offences were said to contravene Section 1(8)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983, and punishable under Section 8 of the same Act.

When the charges were read to them, both defendants pleaded guilty to all the counts.

Following their pleas, the prosecution counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, called the investigating officer, Matthew Orogwu, to present the facts of the case.

Orogwu reviewed the investigation before the court and tendered relevant documentary evidence in support of the prosecution’s case.

After presenting the evidence, Kofarnaisa urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants in accordance with the charges to which they had pleaded guilty.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Aluko found Zhang and Gao guilty on all five counts.

The judge sentenced each defendant to five years’ imprisonment on each count, with an option of a N50 million fine covering the five counts.

The court further ordered the forfeiture of the mineral resources recovered from the defendants to the Federal Government of Nigeria.