A Federal High Court in Ilorin has sentenced two men and a mining company to 12 months in prison each for illegal mining-related offences, ordering the forfeiture of 58.23 tonnes of lithium and lead ore to the Federal Government.
The convicts are Abdullahi Dauda, Great River Mining Company Limited and Mohammed Aminu, a truck driver who transported the minerals.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro handed down the sentences while delivering judgments in two separate cases instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The cases involved Dauda in one charge, while Great River Mining Company Limited and Aminu were jointly charged in the second case.
According to the EFCC, Dauda was found in February 2026 in possession of 18 tonnes of solid minerals transported in a truck with registration number SKK-93-XB without lawful authority.
He was charged under Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
In the second case, Great River Mining Company Limited and Aminu were charged with possessing 40.23 tonnes of lead ore allegedly derived from illegal mining.
The charge was brought under Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
All the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were arraigned.
Following their guilty pleas, EFCC prosecutors, Innocent Mbachie and Mustapha Kaigama, urged the court to convict them accordingly.
Court Orders ₦10m Payments Into EFCC Account
In his judgment, Justice Awogboro sentenced Dauda to 12 months’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦1 million fine.
The court also directed the owner of the truck used to transport the 18 tonnes of lithium to pay ₦5 million into the EFCC Recovery Account.
The lithium was subsequently ordered forfeited to the Federal Government through the EFCC.
Similarly, Great River Mining Company Limited and Aminu were each sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦1 million fine.
The owner of the truck used to transport the 40.23 tonnes of lead ore was also ordered to pay ₦5 million into the EFCC Recovery Account.
The court further ordered the forfeiture of the lead ore to the Federal Government through the anti-graft agency.
The two judgments bring the total quantity of minerals forfeited to 58.23 tonnes, comprising 18 tonnes of lithium and 40.23 tonnes of lead ore.
