The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, has detained 41 individuals and seized 12 vehicles in its Ilorin Zonal Command for allegedly engaging in illicit mining and possessing various forms of solid minerals without the necessary permits.
On Monday, February 5, 2024, they were taken into custody in several places in Kwara, including Share, Banni, Lade, Patigi, and Okolowo, and in Oyo state, at Igbeti and Ogbomosho. Credible information about illicit miners carrying truckloads of various minerals outside the state without the necessary licences led to their arrest.
Nura Ibrahim, Isiyaku Jibril, Samaila Ibrahim, Chukwu Okpara Idam, Ganiyu Roqeeb, Umina Umina, Mohammed Umar, Mohammed Abubakar, Adegboyega Oluwashola, Nura Lawan, and Sani Umar are the suspects.
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.
On July 12, 2023, the Command successfully obtained the conviction of Gang Deng, a Chinese national, and the ultimate forfeiture of two trucks containing minerals to the Federal Government. Additionally, the Command detained 13 Chinese individuals, 12 of whom were male and 12 of whom were female, for offences related to illicit mining.
The suspects would be brought before the court upon completion of the investigations, according to an official statement by the EFCC media office.
