Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Thursday, May 15, 2025 convicted and sentenced two truck drivers, Abdulkareem Hussaini and Aliyu Ladan to one-year imprisonment each for unlawful possession of solid minerals.
They were arraigned on one-count separate charges by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The charge against Hussaini reads: “That you, Abdulkareem Hussaini on or about the 11th day of June 2024, at Ballah Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, comes into possession of minerals to wit: Thirty-Five Tonnes of mineral, conveyed in a Layland DAF Truck, with registration number KTG 54 XB and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (8) (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1984”
Similarly, Ladan’s charge reads: “That you, ALIYU LADAN, on or about the 13th day of September, 2024 at Ballah, Asa Local Government Area, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, comes into possession of minerals to wit: 30 tons of mineral, conveyed in a SINO truck, with registration number: FTA 981 XB and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(8) (b) of the Miscellaneous Offices Act, 1984”
The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them.
Following their pleas, counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola, reviewed the facts of the case, tendered evidence and thereafter prayed the court to convict the defendants accordingly.
In his judgment, Justice Awogboro sentenced Hussaini and Ladan to 12 months in prison with an option of a fine of N1 million each. The judge also ordered that the solid minerals recovered from the convicts at the time of arrest be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The convicts started their journey to the Correctional Centre when they were found in possession of large quantities of minerals without valid authorisation, an act that violates Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1984. They were charged in court, pleaded guilty to their charges and convicted.
