Court Jails Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Export of Nigerian Minerals
The Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced two Chinese nationals, Zhang Hong Lin and Gao Pei Hai, for illegally attempting to export Nigeria’s mineral resources.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Akintayo Aluko found both men guilty on a five-count charge filed against them. The court also ordered that all the mineral resources recovered from the suspects be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The judge sentenced each of them to 25 years in prison, with the option of paying a ₦10 million fine on each count.
The two were charged alongside another Chinese national, Gao Pei Yu, who is currently on the run.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the defendants conspired on May 28, 2025, to illegally export valuable Nigerian minerals, including mica, copper-bearing, and lithium-bearing minerals, without obtaining the required government approvals.
The commission also accused them of unlawfully possessing the minerals on May 9, 2025, with the intention of exporting them without legal authorisation.
The EFCC said the offences violated provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983.
The latest conviction adds to the increasing number of Chinese nationals convicted of crimes in Nigeria.
In February, another Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu to 46 years’ imprisonment each after they were found guilty of cybercrime and money laundering.
Similarly, in June 2025, nine Chinese nationals were each sentenced to one year in prison for offences related to cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
