News
Court Orders FG Take Over Of Ogun Illegal Mining Site
Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of properties recovered from Chinese and Nigerians involved in illegal mining activities in Ogun State to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The forfeited assets include a mining site located behind the Baale’s Palace on Ileposo Street, adjacent to 59 Street, Ode-Remo, Ogun State; a Toyota 4Runner SUV with registration number AWE 261 AE; two trucks laden with substantial quantities of mica and lithium stones; and a 40-foot container containing substantial quantities of mica and lithium stones.
The judge made the order, following a motion filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ikoyi, through its counsel, Bilkisu Buhari, seeking an order for the custody and disposal of the properties pursuant to Section 330 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and other relevant laws.
The Commission also sought an order empowering the EFCC, in collaboration with the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency and court officials, to dispose of the forfeited assets and deposit the proceeds into an interest-bearing account pending the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.
According to an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC operative, intelligence reports revealed that several individuals, including Chinese and Nigerians, were involved in the illegal mining and trade of mineral resources, particularly mica and lithium stones.
The affidavit further revealed that the syndicate mined and transported the mineral resources from various locations across Nigeria to a site in Ode-Remo Local Government Area of Ogun State, where the minerals were sorted, processed and prepared for export through Apapa Wharf and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
It was also revealed that operatives of the Commission carried out a sting operation in the early hours of Friday, May 9, 2025, leading to the arrest of two Chinese alleged to be kingpins and six Nigerians at the mining site.
Items recovered during the operation included the Toyota SUV, three trucks loaded with substantial quantities of mica and lithium stones, as well as a 40-foot container containing 3,210 bags of the mineral resources.
According to the affidavit, the properties listed in the schedule were at risk of rapid deterioration due to the rainy season and were already losing economic value.
It was also stated in the affidavit that the principal actors involved in the illegal activities had already been arraigned before the court on charges relating to the unauthorised dealing in mineral resources.
After reviewing the affidavit evidence and submissions by the Commission, Justice Osiagor granted the application and ordered the final forfeiture and disposal of the assets.
The judge also directed that the proceeds be paid into an interest-bearing account pending the criminal trial of the defendants.
Tunisia head coach Sabri Lamouchi has been sacked after defeat on World Cup opening game against Sweden.
Plans are under way to appoint Mondher Kebaier as the new national team coach on an interim basis, Federation confirm.
A statement released on the Tunisian FA Instagram read:
“An agreement has been officially reached to dismiss coach Sabri Lamouch.
“Plans are under way to appoint Mondher Kebaier as the national team coach [on an interim basis].”
Tunisia play Japan in their second group game on Saturday before facing the Netherlands.
The Commander-General of the Kano State Hisbah Corps, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, has said preparations are in top gear for the mass wedding of 1,500 couples sponsored by the state government, with the sum of ₦1.5 billion earmarked for the programme.
Daurawa disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Kano on Monday, saying part of the preparations includes premarital medical tests such as HIV, hepatitis, pregnancy and genotype screening, among others.
He explained that about ₦1 million would be spent on each couple to provide household items including beds, mattresses, bedsheets, pillows, furniture and food items.
According to him, a dowry of ₦100,000 will be paid for each bride, while an additional ₦100,000 will be given to the bride as seed capital to support small-scale businesses after the wedding.
“Mass wedding was one of the promises made to the people of Kano by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf during his election campaign, and he has now fulfilled it,” Daurawa said.
“The governor has approved ₦1.5 billion for 1,500 couples, with each couple benefiting from about ₦1 million meant for furniture, food items and empowerment.”
The Commander-General also disclosed that the Hisbah Corps had informed intending couples of a guiding rule that discourages divorce without the prior involvement of the Hisbah Board.
He advised intending couples to ensure they undergo genotype tests before marriage because of the risks associated with giving birth to children living with sickle cell anaemia.
Daurawa added that the date for the mass wedding would be announced once it is approved by Governor Yusuf.
Nigeria’s inflation rose for the third consecutive month to 15.93 percent in May 2026 from 15.69 percent recorded in April.
The National Bureau of Statistics disclosed this in its Consumer Price Index and inflation data released on Monday.
This means that in May, the country’s inflation rose on a month-on-month basis by 1.75 percent.
Also, the report showed that food inflation also skyrocketed to 16.96 percent in May, up from 16.06 percent recorded the previous month.
“In May 2026, the headline inflation rate on a month-on-month basis was 1.75 percent, which was 0.39 percent lower than the rate recorded in April 2026 (2.13 percent).
On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate rose to 15.93 percent, up from 15.69 percent in April 2026 and down from 26.06 percent in the same month of the preceding year (May 2025).
“The Food inflation rate in May 2026 on a month-on-month basis was 2.98 percent, down by 0.65 percentage points from April 2026 (3.63 percent). On a year-on-year basis, it was 16.96 percent and stood at 24.55 percent in the same month of the preceding year, May 2025”.
Recall that the headline inflation rate dropped in March and April, respectively even as the Central Bank of Nigeria retained the country’s interest rate 26.50 percent in its 305th Monetary Policy meeting.
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