The Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria has sentenced two men and a mining company to 12 months imprisonment each for offences relating to illegal mining and unlawful possession of solid minerals.
The convicts are Abdullahi Dauda, Mohammed Aminu, and Great River Mining Company Limited.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro also ordered the forfeiture of 58.23 tonnes of lithium and lead ore to the Federal Government.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said Dauda was found in possession of 18 tonnes of lithium, while Aminu and the company were convicted over 40.23 tonnes of lead ore. The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.
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The court gave each of them the option of N1 million fine. It also ordered the owners of the trucks used to transport the minerals to pay N5 million each into the EFCC Recovery Account.
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(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
