The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, arraigned two Chinese nationals, Zhang Hong Lin and Gao Pei Hai, before a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, on five counts of conspiracy, illegal mining of lithium and illegal possession of the same.
The prosecution told the court that the two defendants alongside one Gao Pei Yu, said to be at large, committed the offences sometimes last month.
Specifically, the prosecutor told the court that the two Chinese nationals and the other at large, conspired between among themselves 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 litium bearing mineral resources” out of Nigeria.
The defendants were also alleged to have in their possession mineral resources “T-12078LA, Muscovite and Leidolite, of Mica Minerals; LSR585XD- Spodumene and Petalite of Lithium bearing minerals; LSR585XD- Anhydrite, Quartz, Magnesite, Bornite and Cuprite of Copper and APP379XW-Spodumene and Petalite Ores of Lithium bearing for exportation purpose.
The prosecutor told the illegal acts of the defendants contravened sections Section 8 (a) and 8 (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983 and punishable under Section 8 of the same Act.
The defendants, however, denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecution, in view of the non guilty plea of the defendants, urged the court to remand them in prison custody and for trial date to be fixed.
But counsel to the defendants, urged the court to remand the defendants in EFCC custody.
However, Justice Aneke ordered that the defendants be remanded in Ikoyi prison, while adjourned their trial to July 4, 2025.
Charges against the defendants read: “that you Zhang Hong Lin, Gao Pei Hai and Gao Pei Yu (at
large) sometime in 2025 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this 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 Litium bearing mineral resources” out of Nigeria, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983 and punishable under Section 8 of the same Act.
“That you Zhang Hong Lin, Gao PEI Hai And Gao Pei Yu (at large) on May 9, 2025, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this court without lawful authority had in your possession mineral resources “T-12078LA, Muscovite and Leidolite, of Mica Minerals” for exportation purpose, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 8 (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983
