The South-West Zonal Office of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, working alongside the the Department of State Services (DSS), has intercepted seven trucks suspected of illegally transporting lithium ore within the region.
The Zonal Mine Officer for the South-West, Mr Ganiyu Wasiu Ajibade, revealed that the crackdown followed credible intelligence received on January 8, indicating that a convoy of 12 trucks had been mobilised to remove lithium ore from an active mining site in Saki, Oyo State.
Acting swiftly, Ajibade engaged the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and DSS in Oyo State and directed the Kwara State surveillance team of the ministry to monitor and track the movement of the trucks.
The operation revealed that the convoy departed Saki at 11:30p.m on January 8, reached Igbeti early Friday morning, and continued towards Ilorin, by 7p.m.
The seven trucks were apprehended between 9p.m and 10p.m along the Okoolowo-Eyenkorin Expressway in Kwara State.
One driver escaped, abandoning his vehicle, while the others were taken into custody.
Upon questioning, the drivers admitted they were hired by an individual to transport the lithium ore, and all accompanying documents issued at the mining site were recovered.
Ajibade stressed that the operation reflects the directives of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, who has maintained a zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining.
He affirmed the ministry’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources and warned that enforcement against illegal mining and mineral theft will be intensified across the South-West.