Five Sentenced to One-Year Jail Term for Illegal Mining in Niger
A Federal High Court in Minna, Niger State, has convicted and sentenced five individuals to one year imprisonment each for engaging in illegal mining operations without the required licenses.
Justice Abdullahi M. Dan-Ige handed down the sentences after finding the defendants—Yusuf Amadu, Babila Sani, Ibrahim Umar, Ephraim Jonas Okoro, and Saidu Mohammed—guilty of unlawfully possessing and mining precious stones in violation of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna Zonal Directorate, prosecuted the men on separate one-count charges. They were arrested in November 2024 across Minna and Kacha Local Government Areas, following credible intelligence that exposed their involvement in unauthorized mining activities.
Read Also:
According to the EFCC, each defendant was found with precious stones in their possession without valid permits. For instance, the charge against Yusuf Amadu read:
“That you, Yusuf Amadu, on or about November 14, 2024, in Kacha, Minna, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, had in your possession precious stones without a licence, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 131(d) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 134(b) of the same Act.”
Similar charges were brought against the others, including Ibrahim Umar, who was found in possession of precious stones in Minna without a license.
All five pleaded guilty to the charges. Prosecution counsel, K.S. Ogunlade, urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. The defence, however, pleaded for leniency, citing the remorse shown by the accused.
Justice Dan-Ige subsequently sentenced each of the convicts to one year in prison with an option of a ₦100,000 fine.
By PRNigeria
