The
Enugu
Zonal
Directorate
of
the
Economic
and
Financial
Crimes
Commission,
EFCC
on
Tuesday,
November
12,
2024
arraigned
two
Chinese
siblings:
Wang
Jian
and
Wang
Richard
before
Justice
Mohammed
Garba
Umar
of
the
Federal
High
Court
sitting
in
Independence
Layout,
Enugu.
The
Chinese
siblings
were
arraigned
alongside
Michael
Berneth
Agu,
a
Nigerian,
on
a
three
count
charge
bordering
on
exporting
of
mineral
ore
without
the
permission
of
an
appropriate
authority
and
possession
of
fifteen
pieces
of
mineral
ore
without
the
permission
of
a
lawful
authority.
Count
one
of
the
charge
reads:
“That
you,
Wang
Jian,
Richard
Wang
and
Michael
Berneth
Agu,
sometime
in
2024
in
Enugu,
within
the
jurisdiction
of
the
Federal
High
Court
of
Nigeria,
with
intent
to
defraud,
did
conspire
amongst
yourselves
to
commit
a
felony
to
wit:
exporting
of
Mineral
Ore
without
the
permission
of
appropriate
authority
and
thereby
committed
an
offence
contrary
to
and
punishable
under
Section
8
(a)
of
the
Advance
Fee
Fraud
and
Other
Fraud
Related
Offences
Act,
2006
and
punishable
under
Section
1
(3)
of
the
same
Act”.
Richard Wang, Micheal Benneth Agu, And Wang Jian
Count
three
of
the
charge
reads:
“That
you,
Wang
Jian,
Richard
Wang
and
Michael
Berneth
Agu
sometime
in
2024
in
Enugu,
within
the
jurisdiction
of
the
Federal
High
Court
of
Nigeria,
without
lawful
authority
are
in
possession
of
fifteen
pieces
of
Mineral
Ore
and
thereby
committed
an
offence
contrary
to
and
punishable
under
Section
1
(8)
(b)
of
the
Miscellaneous
Offences
Act,
Cap
M17,
Laws
of
the
Federation
of
Nigeria,
2004”.
The
defendants
pleaded
not
guilty
when
the
charges
were
read
to
them.
In
view
of
their
pleas,
counsel
to
the
EFCC,
Assistant
Commander
of
the
EFCC,
ACE
I
Onjefu
Obe
prayed
the
court
for
a
trial
date
and
for
the
defendants
to
be
remanded
at
the
Enugu
Correctional
Facility.
However,
defence
counsel,
Peter
Eze,
made
an
oral
application
for
bail
for
his
clients.
While
admitting
that
the
court
does
not
grant
oral
applications,
Eze
prayed
the
court
to
admit
his
clients
to
bail
on
the
ground
that
the
first
defendant,
Wang
Jian,
was
sick
and
needed
intensive
medical
care.
“As
regards
the
other
two
defendants
my
lord,
we
have
started
discussion
on
how
to
arrive
at
a
plea
bargain
sir”,
the
defence
counsel
said.
He
thereafter
prayed
the
court
to
graciously
grant
his
clients
bail.
Responding,
the
prosecution
admitted
that
the
charge
against
the
foreign
nationals
is
extremely
sensitive,
both
at
the
federal
and
local
levels
and
urged
the
court
to
take
cognizance
of
the
peculiarities
that
have
to
do
with
the
casefile.
“We
are
open
for
any
kind
of
plea
bargain
and
accelerated
hearing
in
order
to
end
this
case
as
soon
as
possible”,
he
said.
After
listening
to
both
sides,
Justice
Umar
granted
the
defendants
bail
in
the
sum
of
N10
Million
each
and
two
sureties
in
like
sum.
The
sureties
must
be
prominent
members
of
the
society
who
must
be
residents
of
Enugu
State.
The
court
also
ordered
the
defendants
to
deposit
their
international
passport
with
the
court.
The
defendants
were
remanded
at
the
Enugu
State
Correctional
Facility,
pending
when
they
fulfil
the
terms
of
their
bail
conditions.
The
matter
was
adjourned
to
January
21,
2025
for
trial.
The
defendants’
case
started
on
November
3,
2024
when
the
Commission
received
an
intelligence
through
the
Federal
Airport
Authority
of
Nigeria,
FAAN,
regarding
Jian
who
was
intercepted
at
the
hold
baggage
screening
point,
where
unidentified
suspicious
stones
believed
to
be
solid
minerals
wrapped
in
three
different
pieces,
were
discovered
in
his
luggage.
Investigations
revealed
that
Jian
was
attempting
to
travel
out
of
the
country
with
the
mineral
ore
in
order
to
carry
out
some
tests
on
them
in
China.
While
Jian
was
nabbed
on
November
3,
2024
at
the
Akanu
Ibiam
International
Airport,
Enugu,
Richard
and
Agu
were
arrested
the
next
day
at
the
Enugu
Zonal
Directorate
of
the
EFCC
as
it
was
discovered
that
the
defendants
conspired
to
export
the
said
mineral
ore
without
requisite
permit
from
appropriate
authority.
Media
&
Publicity
November
15,
2024
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate
