The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended seven individuals involved in illegal mining activities and confiscated five truckloads of minerals from them.
In a statement released on Wednesday via X.com, the EFCC provided details of the arrests, which occurred on Friday, May 24, 2024, in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
The statement identified the suspects as Waliyu Abidoye, Abubakar Auwal, Abdulrauf Hakim, Sabiu Usman, Salihu Godwin, Dauda Mohammed, and Olalekan Aremu. It noted that the suspects were found with five truckloads of minerals suspected to include lepidolite, lithium, and precious stones.
Investigations revealed that the suspects lacked the necessary licenses and permits required for mining and mineral possession. Additionally, they were not paying the mandated royalties to federal and state governments.
Further complicating the case, two other individuals, Faleti Waheed and Noah Olalekan, were arrested for attempting to bribe EFCC officials with N1.2 million to secure the release of one of the seized trucks. The statement detailed that EFCC operatives played along with the bribery attempt and apprehended Waheed and Olalekan at the moment of the transaction.
The EFCC recovered N995,500 from Waheed, who identified himself as a gas station manager, and N201,000 from Olalekan, who claimed to be a scavenger.
The suspects are set to face charges in court upon the completion of the investigation.
Earlier, on May 18, it was reported that five illegal miners were detained near the Izom Bridge along the Minna-Suleja Road in Niger State’s Gurara Local Government Area. Their mining activities were said to threaten the stability of the Izom Bridge and contribute to land erosion in the area.
