RismadarVoice Reporters, May 26, 2026
The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of assets linked to illegal mining activities in Ogun State to the Federal Government.
Justice Daniel Osiagor issued the order on Friday following an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over properties recovered from Chinese nationals and Nigerians accused of illegal mining and mineral trafficking.
The forfeited assets include a mining site located in Ode-Remo, Ogun State, a Toyota 4Runner SUV, two trucks loaded with mica and lithium stones, and a 40-foot container containing thousands of bags of mineral resources.
The EFCC, through its counsel Bilkisu Buhari, sought the forfeiture under provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, alongside an order allowing the commission to dispose of the assets in collaboration with the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency.
According to the anti-graft agency, intelligence reports uncovered a network of Chinese and Nigerian suspects allegedly involved in the illegal extraction, processing and export of mineral resources, particularly lithium and mica stones.
The commission said the syndicate transported the minerals from different parts of the country to a processing site in Ode-Remo before preparing them for export through Apapa Wharf and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
An affidavit filed by an EFCC operative revealed that a sting operation carried out on May 9, 2025, led to the arrest of two Chinese nationals described as kingpins and six Nigerian suspects at the mining site.
Items recovered during the raid included the Toyota SUV, three trucks carrying large quantities of lithium and mica stones, and a container loaded with 3,210 bags of mineral resources.
The EFCC told the court that the assets were at risk of deterioration due to the rainy season and were already losing economic value.
Justice Osiagor granted the application after reviewing the evidence presented and ordered that proceeds from the disposal of the assets be paid into an interest-bearing account pending the conclusion of the criminal trial of the suspects.
The court also confirmed that the defendants had already been arraigned on charges relating to unauthorised dealings in mineral resources.
