Truck Driver Jailed for Illegal Lithium Possession in Kwara

Kasimu Bawa, a 50-year-old truck driver from Wukari Local Government Area in Taraba State, was sentenced to two years in prison by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Ilorin for unlawfully possessing 25 tons of lithium-bearing minerals valued at N2.4 million. The judgment, delivered on November 1, 2022, followed Bawa's arrest on September 9, 2022, while transporting the minerals along Tsaragi Road in Edu Local Government Area, Kwara State.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted the case as part of a crackdown on illegal mining activities in Kwara State. Bawa was found guilty of possessing the minerals without a mining license, which is a violation of the Miscellaneous Offences Act of 1984.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of the truck used for transporting the minerals to the federal government. Bawa had the option to pay a fine of N5 million instead of serving the prison term.