Twelve trucks carrying various forms of illegally mined solid minerals have been seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ilorin Zonal Command, along with forty-one suspects.
The EFCC’s Zonal Commander, Mr. Michael Nzekwe, paraded the suspects in Ilorin on Tuesday. He said that the suspects were selected from a number of locations, including the Patigi, Igbeti, and Ogbomoso areas near Kwara state.
The Commander stated that truck drivers made up the majority of the suspects who had been arrested, and some of them had named foreign nationals as well as one or two powerful Nigerian men who were responsible for the illegal mining.
In addition to stating that “the act is an economy sabotage capable of causing environmental devastation, socio-economic hardship, insecurity, banditry and a host of other vices,” he warned that the EFCC would not back down in its fight against corruption and that it is breaking every chain of illegal mining operators across the nation.
He claims that the Miscellaneous Offenses Act Cap M17, 1983’s Section 1(8) (b) imposes a life sentence for the offense.
Nura Lawan, Tunde Jimoh, Sani Umar, Oyeleke Sunkanmi, Adegboyega Oluwashola, Mohammed Umar, Muhammad Abubakar, Dawud Muideen, Chukwu Okpara Idam, Ganiyu Roqeeb, Umina Umina, Nura Ibrahim, Isiyaku Jibril, and Samaila Ibrahim are among the suspects that have been taken into custody.
Ishola Mayowa Qudus, Zakariyau Yusuf, Abubakar Dauda, Mohammed A. Mohammed, Soliu Mohammed, Sunday Adewale, Adeyemi Michael, Abdullahi Adamu, Yusuf Auwal, Aminu Usman, Muhammad Musa, Yusuf Ibrahim, and Abdullahi Sani are the others.
Azeez Taofik, Isyaka Olalekan, Taofik Bello, Abdullahi Lawal, Damilare Samuel, Idris Oyeniran, Peter Gaya, Sulaiman Kabiru, Abdulwasiu Jimoh, Idris Mohammed, Auwal Adam, Yusuf Ibrahim, and Sadiq Murtala are the remaining individuals.
“The twelve trucks that the anti-graft agency impounded have the following registration numbers: FG 179 6B, KWM 398 XA, TRE 419 YJ, ABC 795 XD, KWS 351 XC, ZUR 370 XJ, YL 667 XA, T3815 LA, AAA998XA, SHD 625XA, and KWM 416 XA,” he continued.
“Initial inquiries revealed that, at the expense of the Nigerian economy, minerals believed to be marble stone, white powder, lithium, and lepidolite, among others, are being transported outside the nation for use in the production of goods,” Nzekwe stated.
He stated that after the current investigations are finished, the suspects will be charged in court.
Recall that in 2022, the EFCC, Ilorin Zonal Command, successfully obtained the conviction of a Chinese national named Gang Deng and the ultimate forfeiture of two trucks containing minerals to the Federal Government. On July 12, 2023, the EFCC arrested 13 Chinese nationals, twelve of whom were male and twelve of whom were female, for offenses related to illicit mining.
