Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of properties recovered from Chinese nationals and Nigerians involved in illegal mining activities in Ogun State to the Federal Government.
The forfeited assets include a mining site in Ode-Remo, Ogun State, a Toyota 4Runner SUV, trucks loaded with mica and lithium stones, and a 40-foot container containing thousands of bags of mineral resources.
The order followed an application filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission through its counsel, Bilkisu Buhari, seeking custody and disposal of the recovered properties.
The commission also requested permission to collaborate with the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency to dispose of the assets and deposit proceeds into an interest-bearing account pending the conclusion of the criminal trial.
According to the EFCC, intelligence reports revealed that a syndicate involving Chinese nationals and Nigerians was engaged in the illegal mining and exportation of mica and lithium stones from different parts of the country.
The agency disclosed that operatives carried out a sting operation in Ogun State, leading to the arrest of two Chinese nationals and six Nigerians linked to the activities.
Justice Osiagor granted the application after reviewing the evidence presented before the court and directed that proceeds from the disposal of the assets be preserved pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.
