On Monday, April 22, 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ilorin Zonal Command, charged two Chinese citizens, Duan Ya Hong and Xiao Yi, along with their company, Ebuy Concept Limited, in front of Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court located in Ilorin for allegedly engaging in illicit mining activities.
According to a statement made public by the commission, the defendants were charged with one count of possessing solid minerals without a license and failing to pay the federal government’s statutory royalties.
The charge is as follows:
“That you, Ebuy Trading Worldwide Nig.LTD, Duan Ya Hong, Xiao Yi sometime in February 2024 at Banni, in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, without lawful authority, purchased minerals to wit; 30 tons of minerals conveyed in a Truck, with Registration Number JJJ 386 XT and thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 1984”.
After the charge was presented to them in Chinese and English, the defendants entered a not guilty plea.
After their pleas, Innocent Mbachie, the EFCC’s attorney, asked the court to detain the defendants to the Nigerian Correctional Service till the case is heard and decided. In order to give the prosecution time to present its case, he also asked the court to set a trial date.
In response, A. Aromolaran, the defendants’ attorney, begged the judge to grant his clients bail. He said that the defendants’ foreign passports were already in the Commission’s possession and that there was no way they wouldn’t be able to appear in court as he had promised.
Following the presentation of arguments and counterarguments by both parties, Justice Anyadike granted the defendants bail in the amount of N5 million naira, with two sureties each in an equivalent amount.
The judge ruled that the sureties had to be landowners under the court’s jurisdiction and that they had to register the properties’ documents of title with the court registry. In addition, the sureties were directed by the court to present proof of their payment of taxes for the last three years as well as proof of their payment of power bills for the previous ten months.
The court therefore postponed the matter to May 16, 2024, when the trial is scheduled to begin, and directed that the defendants be kept under the supervision of the EFCC until their bail conditions were fulfilled.
