Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced one Buba Muhammed, a 37-year-old truck driver, to one year in prison for possession of solid minerals without lawful authority.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the truck used as means of transportation of the illegally acquired minerals confirmed to be lepidolite, montmorillonite and chrysocolla, to the federal government.
The convict was one of 13 suspects arrested by operatives of the EFCC last year while trying to transport a truckload of assorted crude minerals for sales outside the state.
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He was prosecuted on one-count charge by the anti-graft agency, to which he pleaded guilty.
Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Andrew Akoja, prayed the court to convict him.
Delivering judgement on Wednesday, Justice Sani, however, gave him an option of N400,000 fine.
