Kwara: EFCC Seizes 8 Trucks of Minerals and Arrests 11 for Illegal Mining
Agents from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ilorin, Kwara State, have apprehended eleven individuals and confiscated eight trucks loaded with various minerals suspected to be linked to illegal mining operations.
The detained individuals are identified as Ibrahim Muhammad, Sulaiman Ibrahim, Ibrahim Gambo, Hakeem Saka, Ahmad Muktar, Jamiu Mustapha, Rabiu Musa, Aisha Muhammad, Abdulwasiu Hannafi, Qudus Olalere, and Babatunde Hakeem. They were taken into custody on Wednesday, May 5, 2024, based on credible intelligence at multiple locations in Ogbomosho, Oyo State. These suspects were found transporting minerals such as marble stone, white powder, lithium, and lepidolite to unknown destinations without the necessary legal licenses.
An official statement from the EFCC’s X page indicated that the suspects would be charged in court after the ongoing investigations are completed.
In a related development, Professor Excellence Akeredolu, a distinguished conservation biologist, has urged the federal government to enforce stricter regulations against unregulated mining activities. During an event organized by the Lagos Zonal Office of the Federal Ministry of Environment to mark World Environment Day, Akeredolu called for enhanced policies to address issues such as open grazing, unsustainable farming practices, and deforestation.
Akeredolu emphasized that without stronger regulations, efforts to restore degraded ecosystems and combat desertification would be undermined. In his lecture titled “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience,” he highlighted the severe environmental degradation caused by unchecked human activities, which jeopardizes the ability of the land to support life and livelihoods.
He advocated for sustainable agricultural practices, forest conservation, and extensive tree planting in alignment with the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. Akeredolu stressed the collective responsibility in protecting and preserving the environment.
Margaret Akinyemi, the federal controller and South-West zonal director of the Ministry of Environment, also addressed the gathering, urging every Nigerian to plant at least one tree to support the government’s goal of planting 50 million trees over the next five years. She underscored that this year’s World Environment Day, the 52nd edition, focuses on the critical importance of land and the need for its protection against threats such as desertification, land degradation, pollution, and drought.
Akinyemi highlighted tree planting as a sustainable solution to many environmental challenges and called for unified efforts to address these issues. The event also featured presentations from pupils and students from Lagos schools to further promote the message of environmental conservation.
