Operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested seven individuals for alleged illegal mining activities, and two others for attempting to bribe EFCC operatives with N1.2 million to compromise the investigation.
The arrests, based on credible intelligence and days of surveillance, were made in Ogbomosho, Oyo State. The suspects, identified as Waliyu Abidoye, Abubakar Auwal, Abdulrauf Hakim, Sabiu Usman, Salihu Godwin, Dauda Mohammed, and Olalekan Aremu, were apprehended with five truckloads of assorted minerals, including lepidolite, lithium, and precious stones.
Investigations revealed that the suspects lacked the necessary licenses for mining and failed to pay the required royalties to the federal and state governments. Additionally, Faleti Waheed and Noah Olalekan were arrested for offering a bribe of N1.2 million to EFCC operatives to release one of the seized trucks. The officers played along and arrested Waheed and Olalekan at the point of delivering the money.
Recovered from Waheed, who claims to be a manager at a filling station in Ogbomosho, was N995,500, while Olalekan, a self-proclaimed scavenger, had N201,000. The suspects are set to be arraigned in court following the conclusion of ongoing investigations.
