EFCC Arrests 41 Suspects, Impounds Truckloads Of Lithium In Kwara

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin Zonal Command, arrested 41 suspects and seized 12 trucks carrying various solid minerals mined without licenses.

VerseNews reports that most suspects were truck drivers who implicated foreign nationals and Nigerian individuals involved in illegal mining.

The offence is punishable with life imprisonment under Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, 1983, according to the anti-graft agency in a statement in Ilorin on Tuesday.

The EFCC vowed to combat corruption and illegal mining due to its detrimental effects on the economy, environment, and security.

The minerals seized included marble stone, white powder, lithium, and lepidolite, suspected to be exported, harming the Nigerian economy.

The suspects will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigations, the anti-graft agency added

Previously, the EFCC convicted a Chinese national and forfeited two trucks for illegal mining, and in 2023, arrested 13 Chinese nationals for similar offenses.