Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, has stated that one of its zonal command will be trying 41 new suspects of illegal mining with law enacted 31 years ago.
Obsolete laws has been numerously cited as part of difficulty in fighting graft and criminality in Nigeria.
EFCC in a statement released on Tuesday said its command in Ilorin, north central Nigeria but overseeing four states in the country, arrested the suspects after painstaking investigations into the their activities.
Aside making the arrest, the commission’s operatives seized 12 trucks allegedly containing different types of solid minerals mined without license.
“The offence is punishable with life imprisonment under Section 1(8) (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, 1983,” explained statements from EFCC.
The commission further gave names of the suspects.
They were arrested at different locations in Share, Banni, Lade, Patigi and Okolowo in Kwara, and Igbeti and Ogbomosho in Oyo state.
The Suspects are Nura Lawan, Tunde Jimoh, Sani Umar, Oyeleke Sunkanmi, Adegboyega Oluwashola, Mohammed Umar, Muhammed Abubakar, Dawud Muideen, Chukwu Okpara Idam, Ganiyu Roqeeb, Umina Umina, Nura Ibrahim, Isiyaku Jibril and Samaila Ibrahim.
Others are Idris Isah, Abdullahi Adamu, Yusuf Auwal, Aminu Usman, Muhammed Musa, Yusuf Ibrahim, Abdullahi Sani, Ishola Mayowa Qudus, Zakariyau Yusuf, Abubakar Dauda, Mohammed A Mohammed, Soliu Mohammed, Sunday Adewale and Adeyemi Michael.
The rest are Idris Mohammed, Auwal Adam, Yusuf Ibrahim, Abdullahi Lawal, Damilare Samuel, Idris Oyeniran, Peter Gaya, Sulaiman Kabiru, Abdulwasiu Jimoh, Azeez Taofik, Isyaka Olalekan, Taofik Bello and Sadiq Murtala.
Details of the registration number of the twelve trucks impounded by the anti-graft agency are: FG 179 6B, KWM 398 XA, TRE 419 YJ, ABC 795 XD, KWS 351 XC, ZUR 370 XJ, YL 667 XA, T3815 LA, AAA998XA, SHD 625XA and KWM 416 XA.
Preliminary investigations, according to EFCC, showed that the minerals suspected to be marble stone, white powder, lithium.
Illegal mining in Nigeria resumed a more dangerous dimension after a tragic explosion occurred in Ibadan, after dynamites meant for mining exploded killing people and wounding many.
“The EFCC had warned that it would be unrelenting in the fight against corruption just as it is leaving no stone unturned in breaking the rings of the illegal mining operators across the country.
“Aside the law that frowns on illegal mining activities, the act is an economy sabotage capable of causing environmental devastation, socio-economic hardship, insecurity, banditry and a host of other vices,” the commission added.