The operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested seven suspects for offences bordering on illegal mining activities
The EFCC officers also arrested two other suspects for offering N1.2 million bribe to compromise the operatives of the anti-graft agency.
EFCC Head of Media and Publicity Dele Oyewale disclosed this via a statement issued on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.
Oyewale said the arrest, which followed credible intelligence and days of surveillance, was carried out at Ogbomosho in Oyo State on Friday, May 24.
He listed the arrested suspects to include Waliyu Abidoye, Abubakar Auwal, Abdulrauf Hakim, Sabiu Usman, Salihu Godwin, Dauda Mohammed, and Olalekan Aremu.
Oyewale disclosed that five truckloads of assorted minerals suspected to be lepidolite, lithium, and precious stones, among others, were recovered from the suspects.
The EFCC spokesman noted that investigations revealed that the suspects were not licensed miners and did not have the requisite authority to purchase and possess the minerals.
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He said the suspects were also not paying royalties to the federal and state governments, as required by law.
Oyewale added that the EFCC officers also arrested two suspects, Faleti Waheed and Noah Olalekan, who allegedly offered N1.2 million bribe to the operatives in order to secure the release of one of the sized trucks.
He disclosed that Waheed and Olalekan approached the EFCC operatives at the point of arrest and negotiated to give them money in order to have their seized truck released.
“The officers played along and got the suspects arrested at the point of delivering the money,” Oyewale said.
The EFCC spokesperson stated that the sum of N995,500 was recovered from Waheed who claimed to be a manager at a filling station in Ogbomosho while the sum of N201,000 was recovered from Olalekan who claimed to be a scavenger.
He noted that the suspects will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.
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