In a coordinated intelligence-led operation, the South-West Zonal Office of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, working alongside the Department of State Services (DSS), Kwara State Command, successfully intercepted seven trucks suspected of illegally transporting lithium ore within the region.
The crackdown targeted a convoy originally comprising 12 trucks that had been mobilized to remove lithium ore from an active mining site in Saki, Oyo State, in what authorities described as a significant blow against mineral theft.
The action stemmed from credible intelligence received on Thursday, 8th January 2026, which detailed the convoy’s planned departure from the mining site and its intended route towards Ilorin in Kwara State.
Engineer Ganiyu Ajibade, the Zonal Mine Officer for the South-West, revealed that the Ministry promptly engaged the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and DSS in Oyo State, while directing surveillance teams in Kwara and Ogun States to monitor and track the trucks’ movements across state boundaries.
The trucks departed Saki at 11:30 PM on 8th January, reached Igbeti early Friday morning, and continued their journey towards Ilorin, arriving in the Kwara State vicinity by 7:00 PM on Friday.
Seven trucks were then apprehended between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM along the Okoolowo–Eyenkorin Expressway in Kwara, where one driver escaped by abandoning his vehicle, while the remaining drivers were taken into custody.
Upon questioning, the arrested drivers admitted they were hired by an individual to transport the lithium ore, and that their operations were accompanied by mine marshal personnel based in Abuja.
All accompanying documents issued at the mining site were recovered during the arrest, providing further evidence in the ongoing investigation.
Engineer Ajibade on Tuesday, stressed that the operation reflected the directives of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, who has maintained a zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining.
He affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources and warned that enforcement against illegal mining and mineral theft will be intensified across the country.
