A Federal High Court sitting in Minna, Niger State, has sentenced five men to one year in prison for illegal mining.

Justice Abdullahi M. Dan-Ige found the defendants, Yusuf Amadu, Babila Sani, Ibrahim Umar, Ephraim Jonas Okoro, and Saidu Mohammed, guilty of illegally possessing and mining precious stones without a license.

The men were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate one-count charges under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007.

According to EFCC, the convicts were arrested in November 2024 in Minna and Kacha Local Government Areas of Niger State, following credible intelligence that revealed their illegal activities.

Amadu’s charge reads: “That you, Yusuf Amadu on or about 14th November, 2024 in Kacha, Minna, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court had in your possession, precious stones without licence and you there by committed an offence contrary to Section 131(d) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 134(b) of the same Act.”

That of Umar reads: “That you, of Ibrahim Umar, male, sometime in November, 2024 in Minna, Niger State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court had in your possession, precious stones without licence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 131(d) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 134(b) of the same Act.”

All five pleaded guilty to the charges. The prosecution counsel K.S Ogunlade asked the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while the defence counsel pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that the offenders have remorse for their actions.

Judge Dan-Ige found all of the defendants guilty and sentenced them to one year of imprisonment or to pay N100,000.00 fine, each.