The Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced two men and a mining company for illegal possession of solid minerals.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed this in a statement on Friday, November 13, following the conviction of Abdullahi Dauda, Mohammed Aminu and Great River Mining Company Limited.
The defendants were arraigned over allegations of unlawful mining and possession of solid minerals. They pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.
According to the EFCC, Dauda was accused of transporting 18 tonnes of solid minerals in a truck, while Aminu and Great River Mining Company Limited were found in possession of 40.23 tonnes of lead ore.
The offences were prosecuted under Section 1(18)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Act.
Following their guilty pleas, prosecution counsels, Innocent Mbachie and Mustapha Kaigama, urged the court to convict the defendants.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro subsequently sentenced Dauda to 12 months in prison, with an option of a N1 million fine.
The court also imposed a N5 million fine on the owner of the truck used to transport the minerals and ordered the forfeiture of the seized minerals 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 N1 million fine.