They were arrested with six trucks fully loaded with lithium, according to a Monday statement by the agency’s Head, Media & Publicity Dele Oyewale. The suspected illegal miners are Yunusa Adisa, Ganiyu Kazeem, Muideen Babayemi, Sulaiman Usman, Adeleke Waliu, Tiamiyu Rokeeb, Olusola Sunday, Oyedokun Oluwagbemiga, Sulaimon Ishiaq and Olufimihan Eniola.
The arrests followed credible intelligence on their suspected involvement in the criminal extraction of solid mineral resources in the state, especially lithium, and their evacuation to unknown destinations. They will be charged to court after investigations, the agency said.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC has arraigned one Audu Ishida (a.k.a Baddie Kylemilli) for alleged internet crime.
Ishida is facing a one-count charge, bordering on impersonation, retention of proceeds of crime, and money laundering before Justice Hauwa’u Buhari of the Federal High Court, sitting in Kaduna State, Oyewale said in a separate statement.
The charge reads: “That you Audu Ishida (Baddie Kylemilli) on or about the 2nd of June, 2024 in Jos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, retained the total sum of $50 USD from your victim which you reasonably ought to have known, forms parts of proceeds of an unlawful act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 20(a) of the Money Laundering(Prevention And Prohibition)Act,2022 and punishable under Section 20(b) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge, prompting prosecution counsel, M.E Eimonye to pray the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS). Defence counsel, Umar Usman did not raise any objection.
Justice Buhari ordered that he be remanded in Nigerian Correctional Centre, Kaduna, and adjourned the case till November 7, 2024, for commencement of trial.
Ishida was arrested alongside other members of an internet fraud ring in Jos, Plateau State following an intelligence-driven raid on their hideouts by operatives of Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC.
Investigations revealed that the defendant created fake online video content and dating sites which he used to defraud unsuspecting victims. Investigations further showed that he obtained the proceeds of his crime through gift cards which he traded online through an FSS card app in foreign currency and converted to Naira and paid into his bank accounts.