The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 10 individuals for allegedly engaging in illegal mining activities in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The anti-corruption agency also impounded nine truckloads of assorted minerals that the illegal miners were reportedly attempting to transport out of the state.
Those arrested include nine truck drivers and an escort, all allegedly involved in conveying illegally mined solid minerals.
The suspects were apprehended by operatives of the EFCC’s Ilorin Zonal Directorate during a coordinated sting operation along the Ilorin–Ogbomosho axis.
Items recovered from the suspects during the operation included large consignments of lithium, tin, and lepidolite, as well as the trucks used to transport the materials.
According to a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, the EFCC said the men were arrested because they “could not present any valid licences, permits, or approvals authorising their mining or haulage activities.”
The agency noted that the arrests followed actionable intelligence that exposed a coordinated network involved in the excavation and movement of mineral resources without lawful authorisation.
“Upon the conclusion of our inquiries, the suspects will be charged in court accordingly,” the statement added, reaffirming the EFCC’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s solid minerals sector from economic sabotage.
