In a bid to curb the collaboration between transport unions and illegal miners, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, issued a stern caution to members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
The warning was conveyed during a meeting held in Ilorin, Kwara State, with executive members of the two unions.
The Ilorin zonal command of the EFCC recently apprehended 41 suspected illegal miners and impounded 12 trucks transporting various solid minerals across different locations in Kwara and Oyo states.
Speaking through the Ilorin zonal commander, Michael Nzekwe, Olukoyede emphasized the legal consequences of engaging in illegal mining activities.
He highlighted that mining without a license or conveying minerals without a permit is a punishable offense under Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, 1983, with potential life imprisonment.
Olukoyede urged leaders of the transport unions to educate their members about the legal implications of aiding illegal mining activities.
He advised them to demand mining licenses from miners seeking transport services and to refrain from allowing their trucks to be used for illegitimate purposes.
In response, representatives of the NURTW and RTEAN in Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrasaki Ariwoola and Alhaji Abdulrahman Onikijipa respectively, expressed gratitude to the EFCC for the enlightenment session. They pledged full support from their members to collaborate with the EFCC in combating illegal mining activities in the state.
The EFCC reiterated its commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of illegal mining face the full wrath of the law and encouraged members of the transport unions to report any suspicious activities to the Commission.
This warning underscores the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to tackle economic crimes and protect Nigeria’s natural resources from exploitation.
