The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two Chinese siblings, Wang Jian and Wang Richard, alongside a Nigerian, Michael Berneth Agu, before Mohammed Garba Umar, Justice of the Federal High Court in Enugu State.
The trio faces a three-count charge involving the illegal exportation of mineral ore and unlawful possession of fifteen pieces of the same material.
The charges, brought under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, were detailed in a statement issued by Dele Oyewale, head of media and publicity at the EFCC.
One of the charges said the defendants conspired to export mineral ore without authorisation.
Another accuses them of possessing mineral ore without lawful authority, which violates federal laws.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges. The prosecution, led by Onjefu Obe, an assistant commander of the EFCC (ACE I), requested a trial date and asked that the accused remain in custody at the Enugu Correctional Facility.
However, Peter Eze, defence counsel applied for bail, citing health concerns for Wang Jian, who reportedly requires intensive medical care.
Eze also informed the court that plea bargain discussions were underway for the other two defendants.
The prosecution, acknowledging the sensitive nature of the case, expressed willingness to explore plea bargaining to expedite the trial.
Umar, however, granted bail to the defendants, setting the conditions at N10 million each with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be prominent residents of Enugu State.
The court also mandated the defendants to surrender their international passports. Pending the fulfilment of bail conditions, they were remanded at the Enugu Correctional Facility.
According to the EFCC, the case began on November 3, 2024, when Wang Jian was intercepted at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
It said the airport authorities discovered suspicious stones, identified as solid minerals, concealed in his luggage during routine baggage screening.
Investigations, according to EFCC, revealed that Jian intended to transport the minerals to China for testing.
The EFCC said that it apprehended Jian on the same day and subsequently arrested Richard Wang and Michael Berneth Agu on November 4, 2024, after uncovering their involvement in the conspiracy to export the minerals without proper authorisation.
(Business Day)
