By SUNTV Global Channel
July 31, 2026
LAGOS, NIGERIA — A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced two Chinese nationals, Zhang Hong Lin and Gao Pei Hai, to five years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy, illegal mining, and the attempted export of Nigeria’s solid mineral resources.
The convictions followed a successful prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after both defendants pleaded guilty to a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy and the unlawful possession and exportation of valuable mineral resources without the approval of the appropriate Nigerian authorities.
According to court proceedings, the convicts, alongside Gao Pei Yu, who is currently at large, conspired in 2025 to illegally export mica, copper-bearing minerals, and lithium-bearing mineral resources from Nigeria with the intent to deprive the Federal Government of revenue.
Following their guilty pleas, the prosecution presented documentary evidence through an EFCC investigating officer, linking the defendants to the offences. The court subsequently found both men guilty on all counts.
In his ruling, Justice Akintayo Aluko sentenced each convict to five years’ imprisonment, with the option of paying a ₦50 million fine covering all five counts.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of all recovered mineral resources connected to the illegal operation to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The judgment marks another significant step in the Nigerian government’s efforts to combat illegal mining, protect the nation’s solid mineral resources, and strengthen enforcement against economic and environmental crimes.
