Ministry, DSS Intercept Trucks Carrying Illegally Mined Lithium in Kwara

The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), has intercepted seven trucks allegedly transporting illegally mined lithium ore in Kwara State. The intelligence-led operation followed credible information received on January 8, 2026, that a convoy of 12 trucks had been mobilised to evacuate lithium from an active mining site in Saki, Oyo State.

According to the South-West Zonal Mine Officer, Engineer Ganiyu Ajibade, the ministry coordinated with the DSS and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps across Oyo, Kwara, and Ogun states to track the movement of the trucks. The convoy reportedly left Saki late on January 8 and was intercepted between 9 pm and 10 pm along the Okoolowo–Eyenkorin Expressway in Kwara, where seven trucks were seized and their drivers arrested, while one driver escaped and abandoned his vehicle. Ajibade said the arrested drivers admitted they were hired to transport the mineral and that all documents issued at the mining site were recovered. He noted that the operation reflects the zero-tolerance directive of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, and warned that enforcement against illegal mining and mineral theft would be intensified nationwide.

Written by Adeyemi Adewale