EFCC ARRESTS EIGHT PERSONS, SEIZES SIX TRUCKS IN ILLEGAL MINING CRACKDOWN

February 23, 2026

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested eight individuals and seized six trucks for alleged involvement in illegal mining along the Ilorin–Ogbomoso axis of Kwara State and Oyo State.

The arrests, made on Saturday, February 20, 2026, bring to 18 the total number of suspects apprehended by the EFCC’s Ilorin Zonal Directorate for suspected unlawful mining within the past month, according to a statement by the Commission’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale.

Oyewale said the operation followed credible intelligence and several days of surveillance targeting illegal mineral excavation and transportation across the two states. The suspects were intercepted with six truckloads of assorted minerals, believed to include lithium and kaolin.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects were operating without the necessary licences, permits, or regulatory approvals for mining activities.

“The suspects will be arraigned in court upon conclusion of the ongoing investigations,” Oyewale added, stressing that the crackdown is part of EFCC’s intensified efforts to curb illicit economic activities in the region.