Justice Dorcas V. Agishi of the Federal High Court, Jos, has sentenced four Chinese nationals to a total of 20 years imprisonment for their involvement in illegal mining activities in Plateau State.
The convicts, identified as Liang Quin Yong, Wang Huajie, Zhong Jiajing, and Long Kechong, were found guilty of illegal mining of solid minerals and unlawful possession of mineral resources.
The four individuals were apprehended on March 9, 2025, at the JLM Mining Company site following intelligence reports linking them to unauthorized mining operations within the Dura Rayfield axis of Jos.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) subsequently charged each suspect with a separate one-count charge relating to illegal dealings in mineral resources.
The charge against Liang Quin Yong reads: “That you, Liang Quin Yong, on or about the 9th of March, at Dura Rayfield axis of Jos, Plateau State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an offence to wit; without lawful authority engaged in the purchase of Mineral Resources, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983.”
Similarly, Wang Huajie, Zhong Jiajing, and Long Kechong, were each charged under the same section of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983, for engaging in the purchase of mineral resources without lawful authorization.
All four defendants pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read before the court.
Following their plea, EFCC counsel M.O. Arumemi and F.A.I. Asemebo urged the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Agishi, convinced by the evidence presented, found the defendants guilty and sentenced each of them to five years imprisonment or a fine of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira) each for unlawful possession of mineral resources.
In addition to the prison sentence, Justice Agishi ordered the immediate deportation of the convicts upon completion of their jail terms and imposed a ban on their re-entry into Nigeria.
Furthermore, the judge mandated the forfeiture of all proceeds of the crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Specifically, Liang Quin Yong was ordered to forfeit the sum of N134,874,769.01—an amount identified as the proceeds of the illegal mining operations.
Justice Agishi also directed the confiscation of all mineral resources recovered during the investigation, alongside a payment of N16,300,000.00 (Sixteen Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira) as an administrative fine for failing to report a financial transaction within seven days to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), as stipulated under Section 11(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In another development, the Lagos Zonal Directorate EFCC on Thursday, May 15, 2025, arraigned a Chinese national, four Chinese Nationals Jailed for Illegal Mining in Plateau, before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Four Chinese Nationals Jailed for Illegal Mining in Plateau
Li Kuang Kuang was brought before the court on a one-count charge of alleged cybercrime.
He is reportedly part of a syndicate of 792 suspects involved in cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud, apprehended during a major sting operation tagged ‘Eagle Flush Operation’ conducted by EFCC operatives on December 19, 2024, in Lagos.
According to the charge sheet, Li Kuang Kuang and his company, Genting International Co. Limited, are accused of willfully accessing a computer system in December 2024 with the intent to destabilize and undermine Nigeria’s economic and social structures.
The alleged offence contravenes Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
When the charge was read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty, subsequently, the prosecution counsel, U.S. Kyari, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending trial.
Justice Osiagor subsequently ordered that Li Kuang Kuang be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Center and adjourned the case to July 18, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
