10th March , 2025
Taiwo Ogunniyi
A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has convicted two Chinese nationals, Yang Chao and Wu Shan Chuan, for engaging in illegal mining of solid minerals in the state. The court also convicted their company, Crius Chemical Nigeria Limited, in a case prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Delivering judgment on Friday, March 7, 2025, Justice Abimbola Awogboro sentenced the convicts to two years imprisonment each or an option of a N1 million fine. The court also imposed the same fine on their company. Additionally, the judge ordered them to remit N14 million in royalties to the federal government, while all minerals found at their company’s premises in Ogun State were forfeited to the government.
The EFCC, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that the Chinese nationals were found guilty of illegally dealing in minerals without lawful authority, contrary to Section 134(b) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007.
During the trial, the EFCC’s counsel, Sesan Ola, presented evidence including the defendants’ extra-judicial statements, a report from the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency, and their passports. Upon reviewing the facts, Justice Awogboro ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
This conviction adds to the government’s ongoing crackdown on illegal mining, a practice that has led to significant revenue losses and environmental damage in Nigeria.
