Kwara jails expatriates for illegal mining
Two Chinese expatriates, Yang Chao and Wu Shan Chuan, have been jailed by a Federal High court sitting in Ilorin over illegal mining of solid minerals in Kwara State. The duo were convicted along with their company, Crius Chemical Nigeria Limited located at No. 1, Idi Ope Road, along Ogunmakin-Odede Road, Omi, Ogun State. They […]
Map of Kwara State
Two Chinese expatriates, Yang Chao and Wu Shan Chuan, have been jailed by a Federal High court sitting in Ilorin over illegal mining of solid minerals in Kwara State.
The duo were convicted along with their company, Crius Chemical Nigeria Limited located at No. 1, Idi Ope Road, along Ogunmakin-Odede Road, Omi, Ogun State.
They were prosecuted on a one-count charge, bordering on dealing with illegal solid minerals mining by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft body accused them of dealing with the minerals without lawful authority.
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They however pleaded “guilty” when the offence punishable under Section 134(b) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, was read to them in court.
EFCC’s counsel, Sesan Ola, thereafter tendered the defendants’ extrajudicial statements, a report from the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency and the defendants’ passports, all of which were admitted in evidence by the court.
In his judgement, Justice Abimbola Awogboro, sentenced them to two years imprisonment each.
They were further ordered to remit N14 million in royalties to the federal government while all solid minerals found in the premises of the company be forfeited to the federal government.
The court gave them the option to pay N1 million as fine each which was also extended to the company.