Illegal mining: EFCC secures conviction of two

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has actually protected the conviction of 2 individuals, Mohammed Umar and Usman Ishaku, for offenses verging on unlawful mining and the illegal transport of mineral resources.

The convicts were sentenced by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Ilorin, after independently pleading guilty to the one-count charges chosen versus them by the Commission.

The charge versus Umar checks out:

“That you, Mohammed Umar, on or about the 5th day of February 2024, at Share, Patigi LGA of Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without legal authority, comes into ownership of Minerals to wit: 40 Tons of minerals, communicated in a Truck, with Registration Number AAA 998 XH and thus dedicated an Offence, Contrary to and punishable under Section 1( 8) (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 1984”.

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Information of Ishaku’s charge read: “That you, Usman Ishaku, at some point in the month of February 2026, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, devoted an Offence to wit: transferring Twenty Metric Tons of mineral, communicated in a Truck, with Registration Number GSW 410 XA and thus devoted an Offence, Contrary to and punishable under Section 134 (b) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007.”

Following their guilty pleas, EFCC Counsel, M. M. Kaigama, prompted the court to found guilty the offenders, counting on their admission of regret and the uncontroverted proof provided before the court.

In his judgment, Justice Awogboro founded guilty Umar and sentenced him to one year jail time, with a choice of fine in the amount of N1 million payable to the Federal Government.

The court likewise bought the forfeit of the 40 lots of minerals recuperated from his truck and in addition pay N5 million to the Federal Government through the EFCC for the financial loss occasioned by his prohibited act.

In the very same vein, the court founded guilty Ishaku and sentenced him to one year jail time, with a choice of fine in the amount of N1 million. He was likewise purchased to pay N5 million to the Federal Government through the EFCC for the financial loss occasioned by his unlawful activities.