The federal government of Nigeria has arraigned two Chinese nationals, Zhou Miao and Shi De Quan, and one Nigerian, Udobi Cletus Chike, before the Federal High Court, Abuja, over allegations of illegal coal mining in Kogi State.
The defendants, along with Anbaituo Mining Company Nigeria Limited, were arraigned by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation before Justice Emeka Nwite on September 13, 2024, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/425/2024.
They were accused of engaging in illegal mining activities, in contravention of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and other relevant laws that prohibit fraudulent dealings in mineral resources.
What Transpired in Court
At the resumed proceedings on Friday, the defendants were arraigned before the court.
They were accused of conspiring to mine a mineral known as coal without lawful authority, at an illegal mining site in IKA, off Ofugo Community in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The second charge, read by the registrar, stated:
“That you, Udobi Cletus Chike, Zhou Miao, Shi De Quan, Anbaituo Mining Company Nigeria Limited, and others at large, on or about the 17th day of August, 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Court, particularly at an illegal mining site in IKA, off Ofugo Community in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State, did mine a mineral known as coal without lawful authority, contrary to Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, LFN 2004, and punishable under the same section.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following this, Ojo T. Alex, Esq., the prosecution counsel from Mining Marshals, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, requested the court to fix a date for the commencement of the trial.
After their plea, the defendants’ lawyer, Farouk Yahaya, urged Justice Emeka Nwite to grant his clients bail on liberal terms.
Ojo responded that while he was not opposed to the bail application, he requested that stringent conditions be imposed to ensure the defendants’ appearance.
He also urged the court to direct the defendants to submit their international passports pending the conclusion of the trial.
What the Judge Said
Ruling on the bail application, Justice Nwite granted each of the three defendants N5 million bail, with one surety each.
He stated that the sureties must depose to an affidavit of means and provide proof of a tax clearance certificate.
Nwite also ruled that the court registry must verify the addresses of the sureties and the properties.
Additionally, the judge ordered the defendants to submit their international passports to the court.
He subsequently remanded them to Kuje Correctional Centre pending the defendants’ lawyer’s perfection of the bail conditions.
The court adjourned the matter to October 14, 2024, for the commencement of the trial.
