From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
Two truck drivers, Abdulkareem Hussaini and Aliyu Ladan, have been sentenced to one year in prison by a Federal High Court in Ilorin, for illegally possessing and transporting solid minerals without valid permits.
The judgement, delivered by Justice Abimbola Awogboro recently, followed their arraignment by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on separate one-count charges of illegal possession of minerals.
The convicts were caught in Ballah, Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State with large quantities of solid minerals, which they were transporting in trucks without proper documentation.
According to EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Hussaini was found with 35 tonnes of minerals in a Layland DAF truck, while Ladan was intercepted with 30 tonnes in a SINO truck. Both pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.
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“After reviewing the facts of the case and tendering relevant evidence, we urged the court to convict the defendants in line with the law,” said EFCC counsel, Sesan Ola.
In her ruling, Justice Awogboro, handed each of the drivers a 12-month jail term, with an option of a N1 million fine. She further ordered the forfeiture of the recovered minerals to the Federal Government.
The court’s decision sends a clear warning to illegal operators in the solid minerals sector.
The EFCC reaffirmed its commitment to curbing economic sabotage and ensuring that Nigeria’s mineral resources are not exploited unlawfully.
“These convictions demonstrate our resolve to protect the nation’s resources from illegal miners and their collaborators,” the commission stated.
