A Federal High Court in Ilorin, presided over by Justice Abimbola Awogboro, has handed down convictions to two individuals and one corporation for engaging in illicit mining practices. The prosecution, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), followed reports of unauthorized solid mineral processing in Kwara State.
Samuel Sunday and Saheed Lawal Akanji, along with his business, Saaskrona Nigeria Limited, were found to have violated the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act of 2007. EFCC investigators targeted the sites after receiving intelligence regarding unlicensed operations. Sunday was apprehended at his Eiyenkorin factory, while Akanji and his company were raided at a separate facility near Ojaja University. Authorities discovered various minerals, including Quartz, Calcite, and Smithsonite, being handled without the mandatory government permits.
Upon entering guilty pleas, the defendants faced sentencing. Justice Awogboro issued Samuel Sunday a 12-month jail term with an alternative N2 million fine, and ordered the state to seize 140 tonnes of mineral ore found on his property. Saheed Lawal Akanji received a similar 12-month sentence or a N1 million fine, while his company, Saaskrona Nigeria Limited, was fined an additional N1 million. Furthermore, 90 tonnes of minerals seized from the company premises were forfeited to the Federal Government.
