The Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested three men over alleged illegal mining and unlawful transportation of suspected solid minerals in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The suspects, identified as Musa Abdullahi, 45, Aliyu Ibrahim, 20, and Ishaq Ibrahim, 51, were reportedly apprehended during a late-night intelligence-led operation carried out by operatives of the Mines and Steel Unit attached to the command’s Special Patrol Team.
Addressing journalists at the NSCDC headquarters in Ilorin on Tuesday, the state Commandant, Abbas Mohammed, said the suspects, all indigenes of Keffi in Nasarawa State, were arrested on Friday, May 22, 2026, at about 10 pm along the Jebba Expressway in the Okolowo area of Ilorin.
According to the commandant, the operatives intercepted a truck bearing registration number DKA 990 XJ from Kaduna State loaded with about 36 tonnes of substances suspected to be lithium ore.
Mohammed said preliminary findings showed that the suspects failed to produce valid mining licences, waybills or any legal documents authorising the possession and transportation of the mineral resources.
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“This briefing is to officially inform the public of a significant operational breakthrough recorded by the Command in its sustained fight against illegal mining activities, economic sabotage, and the unlawful exploitation of the nation’s solid mineral resources,” he said.
The NSCDC boss disclosed that investigations were ongoing to uncover the actual source and ownership of the suspected minerals, identify other persons linked to the transaction and determine the company involved in the operation.
He added that the suspects would be prosecuted in accordance with the law after the investigations conclude.
Mohammed reaffirmed the corps’ commitment to safeguarding critical national assets, stressing that the command would sustain its operations against illegal mining and other criminal activities across Kwara State.