A Federal High Court in Ilorin has found two individuals and a company guilty of illegally mining solid minerals without authorisation under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007. Samuel Sunday faced one charge, while Saheed Lawal Akanji and his firm, Saaskrona Nigeria Limited, faced two charges before Justice Abimbola Awogboro.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission received intelligence suggesting that unauthorised persons were extracting and processing minerals in Kwara State without valid permits. EFCC operatives launched surveillance operations that led to multiple arrests across the state.
Officers arrested Sunday at his factory in the Olorunda area near Deeper Life Camp, Eiyenkorin. Akanji was apprehended at his facility opposite Ojaja University along Passa Road, also in Eiyenkorin.
Investigations uncovered that the defendants had been unlawfully trading in and refining five types of solid minerals. These included Smithsonite, Calcite, Anhydrite, Tennantite, and Quartz, all processed without the licences mandated by law.
Sunday's charge alleged that he possessed minerals without a permit in June 2026, breaching sections 93 and 131(d) of the minerals act. The penalties specified applied under section 134(b) of the same legislation.
Akanji and his company faced identical allegations, accused of possessing minerals without authorisation during the same period. Both defendants entered guilty pleas when brought before the court.
EFCC counsel Rashidat Alao presented the case facts, submitting documents and the confiscated mineral samples as evidence. "The defendants admitted their unlawful activities," she told the court during proceedings.
Justice Awogboro sentenced Sunday to twelve months in prison or a N2 million fine instead. She ordered forfeiture of 140 tonnes of mineral ore recovered from his site to the Federal Government.
Akanji received an identical prison term or a N1 million fine, the judge ruled. Saaskrona Nigeria Limited was handed a N1 million fine without the prison option.
The court also directed the seizure of 90 tonnes of minerals recovered from the company's location for the Federal Government. Both sentences reflected the seriousness with which courts view breaches of Nigeria's mining regulations.
The convictions underscore the EFCC's commitment to tackling illegal mineral exploitation across the country. The commission has intensified operations against unlicensed mining activities that deprive the government of revenue and destabilise local communities.
