In a coordinated intelligence-led operation, the South-West Zonal Office of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, working alongside the Department of State Services (DSS), Kwara State Command, has intercepted seven trucks suspected of illegally transporting lithium ore within the region.
The Zonal Mine Officer for the South-West, Engineer Ganiyu Ajibade, revealed that the crackdown followed credible intelligence received on Thursday, 8th January 2026, indicating that a convoy of 12 trucks had been mobilised to remove lithium ore from an active mining site in Saki, Oyo State.
Acting swiftly, Ajibade said the Ministry then engaged the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and DSS in Oyo State, and directed his colleagues in Kwara and Ogun to mobilise their surveillance teams to monitor and track the movement of the trucks carrying the products in their respective states.
The operation revealed that the convoy departed Saki at 11:30 PM on 8th January, reached Igbeti early Friday morning, and continued towards Ilorin, Kwara State by 7:00 PM.
Seven trucks were then apprehended between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM along the Okoolowo–Eyenkorin Expressway in Kwara, adding that one of the drivers escaped, abandoning his vehicle, while the others were taken into custody.
Upon questioning, the arrested drivers were said to have admitted they were hired by an individual to transport the lithium ore, and that their operations were accompanied by a mine marshal personnel in Abuja.
All accompanying documents issued at the mining site were recovered during the arrest, according to the statement.
Engineer Ajibade stressed that the operation reflected the directives of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, who has maintained a zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining.
He affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources and warned that enforcement against illegal mining and mineral theft will be intensified across the country.
