A Federal High Court has convicted and sentenced two individuals alongside a mining company for engaging in illegal mining activities in Kwara State, marking another step in the government’s efforts to tackle unlawful exploitation of the nation’s mineral resources.
The conviction followed their prosecution by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, which accused the defendants of operating without the required mining licences in violation of Nigeria’s mining laws.
The court found the defendants guilty after reviewing the evidence presented by the prosecution and imposed penalties in accordance with the law.
The charge against Sunday read: “That you, Samuel Sunday, sometime in June 2026, within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, did possess minerals without permit contrary to the provisions of Section 93, read along with Section 131(d) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 134(b) of the same Act.”
Count One of the charges against Akanji and Saaskrona Nigeria Limited reads: “That you, SAASKRONA NIGERIA LIMITED and Saheed Lawal Akanji (Director, Saaskrona Nigeria Limited), sometime in June 2026, within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, did possess minerals without permit, contrary to the provisions of Section 93, read along with Section 131(d) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 134(b) of the same Act.”
The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development said the judgment underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening oversight of the mining sector and ensuring that operators comply with existing regulations.
It added that the government will continue to collaborate with relevant security and regulatory agencies to identify, prosecute and sanction individuals and organisations involved in illegal mining, warning that offenders will face the full weight of the law.
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