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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has convicted and sentenced a 29-year-old Chinese national, Gang Deng, to five years’ imprisonment.
He was arraigned for offences bordering on illegal mining and possession of crude minerals without lawful authority.
Gang was arrested in Tsaragi, Edu Local Government Area in September by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He was accused by the anti-graft body of being in possession of 25 tons of crude minerals suspected to be lepidolite, a raw material usually transported to China for production of batteries for vehicles, cell phones, cameras and other electronic devices.
Deng, who is the Managing Director of Sinuo Xinyang Nigeria Ltd, confessed to the crime admitted that he was operating without licence, the EFCC told the court.
He however entered “not guilty plea” for his company.
Counsel to the EFCC, Innocent Mbachie, urged the court to convict the defendant as charged.
Delivering judgement, Justice A. Sani in his took into consideration the argument by Gang’s counsel pleading for clemency on the grounds that the convict was a first time offender and responsible citizen.
The court subsequently sentenced Gang to five years’ imprisonment.
The judge also ordered that the 25 tons of the minerals recovered from him at the point of arrest be forfeited to the Federal Government.
He was however given an option of N1 million fine.
The court, thereafter, adjourned to November 17, 2022, for hearing in the case of the convict’s company.