Chinese national bags 5-year jail term for illegal mining

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin 

Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Wednesday, convicted and sentenced a 29-year-old Chinese national, Gang Deng to five years’ imprisonment for illegal mining and possession of crude minerals without lawful authority.

Deng was arrested along Tsaragi Road in Share, Edu Local Government Area on Friday, September 9, 2022 by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (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.

It would be recalled that operatives of the EFCC, in collaboration with the Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development on August 30, 2022, arrested 13 suspected illegal miners operating in Kakafu village in Patigi Local Government Area of the state.

Mining without license 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.

Deng, who is the Managing Director of Sinuo Xinyang Nigeria Ltd, confessed to the crime admitting that he was operating without license.

Consequently, the Ilorin Command of the EFCC arraigned him alongside his company on Wednesday on one count amended charge before Justice Sani. When the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded guilty, 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.

He urged the court to convict the defendant as charged.

Justice Sani in his judgement, took into consideration 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 consequently sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment with option of N1million.

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

The court, thereafter adjourned to November 17, 2022 for hearing in the case of the convict’s company, Sinuo Xinyang Nigeria Ltd, which pleaded not guilty to the amended charge.