Illegal mining: Chinese national bag 5-year imprisonment

A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin on Wednesday sentenced a 29-year-old Chinese national, Gang Deng, to five years imprisonment over offences bordering on illegal mining and possession of crude minerals.

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured the conviction after arraigning Deng alongside his company, Sinuo Xinyang Nigeria Ltd, before the court.

Justice Muhammed Sani in his judgment sentenced Deng to five years imprisonment with an option of fine in the sum of N1 million.

Sani also ordered that the 25 tons of the mineral recovered from him at the point of arrest be forfeited to the Federal Government.

The charge against Deng reads:

“That you  Sinuo Xinyang Nigeria Ltd and Gang Deng, sometime in the month of September 2022 at Share, along Tsaragi Road in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, without lawful authority purchased mineral to wit.

“25 tons of mineral worth the sum of N2,490,000.00 conveyed in a DAF TRUCK, with Registration Number KLRAD85XCOE603462, and thereby committed an offence, contrary and punishable under Section 1 (8) (b) of Miscellaneous Offences Act 1984.”

The defendant pleaded guilty on one count amended charge read to him, but entered “not guilty plea” for his company.

Upon his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Innocent Mbachie, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered documents, which were admitted in evidence.

Mbachie urged the court to convict the defendant as charged.

Sani, in passing judgment, said that mining without licence is a criminal offence under the law.

“It is an act of economic sabotage, punishable under Section 1 (8) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, which stipulates life imprisonment for offenders,” he said.

The judge however considered the allocutus made by Deng’s counsel, who pleaded for clemency on the grounds that the convict was a first offender and a responsible citizen.

The court thereafter adjourned to Nov. 17, for further hearing in the case of the convict’s company, Sinuo Xinyang Nigeria Ltd, to which he pleaded not guilty to the amended charge.

NAN recalls that Deng was arrested along Tsaragi Road in Share, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara, on Sept. 9, by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC.

He was found to be in possession of 25 tons of crude minerals suspected to be lepidolite.

Lepidolite is a raw material usually transported to China for production of batteries for vehicles, cell phones, cameras and other electronic devices.