Ten suspects have been arrested by the Oyo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for alleged engagement in illegal mining operations at different locations in the pacesetter state.
The Commandant, Augustine Padonu, disclosed this to journalists at a press briefing on Tuesday, held at the command headquarters at Agodi, Ibadan.
He gave the names of the suspects as Adeoti Kolawole (61), Oyedijo Idowu (19), Muritala Ismaila (39), Mohammed Muritala (40) and Ayuba Ismaila (33).Related PostsIllegal mining: EFCC arrests 48 suspects in two weeksValedictory Court Session: Oyo Legal luminaries pay tribute to AkeredoluOf certificate forgery and concern for national security
Others are Sunday Ayoola (49), Adeleke Sunday (42), Olamide Ajibola (34), Adeyemo Abass (39) and Nurudeen Aliu (35).
Commandant Padonu said that the first five suspects, led by Kolawole, were arrested on Saturday, February 17, at about 8 am, for illegally exploring and mining solid mineral suspected to be tourmaline at Elese Erin Village, in Ona Ara Local Government Area without license.
Speaking further, the Commandant stated that the remaining five-man syndicate, comprising of the owner of the product, Ayoola, and four others who were drivers, were apprehended with four buses loaded with lithium mineral at Ipapo Town in Itesiwaju Local Government Area without valid license to purchase or possess the product.
He said that the suspects specialised in illegal dealing in the mining of solid minerals such as lithium and beryllium, one of which was being conveyed when they were intercepted.
The intercepted vehicles included two Toyota Hiace buses with registration numbers Oyo MNY 811 YN and LSD 136 XG, as well as two Mazda E2200 buses with registration numbers KRD 495 XF and LSD 321 XN.
Padonu urged members of the public to be vigilant, more security conscious and provide useful information to the NSCDC command and other security agencies in order to collectively fight against crime and criminality in the state.
He said that the suspects would be arraigned in court if found culpable at the conclusion of an ongoing discreet investigation.
However, one of the suspects, Kolawole, in an interview, denied involvement in illegal mining, saying that he got documents to back him up.
He said: “I have not carried out illegal mining. I have documents under Pacesetter Mineral Development Company at the state secretariat. It was the company that gave me all the documents I had. I have submitted photocopies of the documents but was surprised when told that I was in illegal mining.
“This is my 10th year in the business at Elese Erin Village. We are still exploring; we have not got the tourmaline we are looking for, which the federal government told us we will find there.
“If it is discovered that the documents are fake, then the blame should go to the government which issued them to me. It was the pacesetter company which gave me concession to work and is carrying out supervision.”
Kolawole said that he was a building contractor who diversified into mining.
“I used to divert the money I make from construction into mining because it may take years before we get tourmaline deep inside water,” he stated.
The suspect who owns the intercepted lithium, Ayoola, told the Nigerian Tribune: “I was coming from Abujaleather where I went to purchase the solid mineral when my drivers were arrested at Ipapo.
“We have license with the company we used to purchase from. Even my leader in the business called to tell the civil defence officers that he was the one who sent money to me for the purchase, and he also showed his license which has been attached to my statement.
“We were taking the mineral to the buyer in Ibadan. I have been in this business since 1998 when the place was opened by the government.”