Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, has jailed two illegal miners and a company for offences bordering on unlawful possession of solid minerals, with a total of 58.23 tonnes of lithium and lead ore forfeited to the Federal Government.
The convicts are Abdullahi Dauda, Great River Mining Company Limited and Mohammed Aminu, a truck driver who conveyed the minerals.
The judge jailed the convicts while deciding on two separate cases filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Dauda in one case and Great River Mining Company Limited and Aminu in the other.
The charge against Dauda reads:
‘That you, ABDULLAHI DAUDA, sometime in February, 2026 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, was found in possession of 18 tonnes of solid minerals conveyed in a truck with registration number SKK-93-XB contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (8) (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, CAP M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004″
The charge against Great River Mining Ltd and Aminu reads:
“That you, Great River Mining Company Ltd and Mohammed Aminu sometimes in February 2026 at Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court had in your possession 40 23 tons of LEAD ORE a mineral of the iron ore family, which mineral you knew or reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: illegal mining and thereby committed an offence contrary to S. 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”
The defendants, upon arraignment, pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Following the guilty pleas, EFCC counsel, Innocent Mbachie and Mustapha Kaigama, prayed the court to convict the defendants accordingly.
In his judgment, Justice Awogboro sentenced Dauda to 12 months’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦1 million fine. The court also ordered the owner of the truck used to convey the 18 tonnes of lithium to pay ₦5 million into the EFCC Recovery Account, while the mineral was forfeited to the Federal Government through the Commission.
In the same vein, the court sentenced Great River Mining Company Limited and Aminu to 12 months’ imprisonment each, with an option of a ₦1 million fine each. The owner of the truck conveying the 40.23 tonnes of lead ore was also ordered to pay ₦5 million into the EFCC Recovery Account, while the mineral was forfeited to the Federal Government through the EFCC.
