Two Chinese nationals, Zhang Hong Lin and Zhao Pei Hai, were on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on allegations of engaging in unlawful possession and illegal export of mineral resources without necessary authorization from the Nigerian government.
The duo were brought before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following investigations into their alleged involvement in illicit mining operations and unauthorized shipment of strategic mineral commodities out of the country.
The EFCC slammed a five-count charge against the defendants, which borders on conspiracy, illegal dealing, and exportation of valuable mineral resources including mica products, lithium-bearing minerals, and copper-bearing materials. These actions are considered a violation of Nigerian mining regulations and an economic sabotage against the Federal Government.
According to one of the charges presented before the court, Zhang Hong Lin, Zhao Pei Hai, and another individual identified as Gao Pei Yu, who is currently at large, allegedly conspired among themselves to export mineral resources from Nigeria without securing the requisite permits from the appropriate authorities. The prosecution accused them of defrauding the Federal Government by deliberately bypassing lawful procedures meant to regulate the mining sector and ensure government revenue.
The charge specifically stated: “That you, ZHANG HONG LIN, GAO PEI HAI and GAO PEI YU (at large), sometime in 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired between yourselves and with intent to defraud the Federal Government of Nigeria of the revenue accruing therefrom and without the permission of the appropriate authority, engaged in the exportation of mica products, copper bearing and lithium bearing mineral resources out of Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983 and punishable under the same section of the Act.”
The defendants, upon arraignment, pleaded not guilty to all charges levelled against them. Prosecution counsel, Bilkisu Buhari, who appeared in court alongside her colleagues, C.C. Okezie and H.U. Kofarnaisa, consequently requested the court to fix a trial date and sought an order for the remand of the suspects in a correctional facility pending trial.
However, counsel to the accused persons urged the court to remand his clients in the custody of the EFCC instead, citing reasons which were not immediately disclosed in court. Justice Aneke dismissed the defence application and ruled that the defendants be remanded at a Nigerian Correctional Centre.
The presiding judge then adjourned the matter to July 4, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
The case is one of several recent efforts by the EFCC and other relevant agencies to clamp down on illegal mining and the unlawful exportation of Nigeria’s solid minerals, a sector which the government has identified as critical to diversifying the economy and boosting national revenue.
