Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has shut down a facility being used by suspected illegal miners to process and package lithium out of the state.
The governor, according to his chief press secretary, Sulaimon Olarewaju, ordered the closure of the facility, which was originally a factory meant for recycling batteries and tyres.
He equally ordered the arrest of four persons suspected to be operating at the site, noting that they operated against the approved licence secured from the government for business operations in the state.
Makinde was said to have been on an unscheduled inspection tour to the factory site at Idi Ayunre, Oluyole Local Government Area, Ibadan.
The governor reportedly said that a preliminary investigation revealed that the factory was being operated by some Chinese.
He added that though the federal government issued an operational licence to the miners in line with constitutional provision, there will always be security threats and concerns when states do not have an input in the issuance of mining licences.
The governor explained that the factory and its operators had contravened Executive Order 001 of 2024 on the safe handling of harmful substances, noting that the arrested factory workers would be prosecuted accordingly.
The governor was also reported to have said that the state government would take over the illegal factory facility through a court process.
The Governor on his social media said;
“In our efforts to prevent a recurrence of the Bodija Incident, we were at Idi-Ayunre, following a tip off about a facility which was being used to process illegally mined minerals.
“We were able to apprehend the culprits because the government and citizens worked together in a timely manner to bust their operations.
“Let me take this opportunity to report that we are still trying to extradite the Malians indicted in the Bodija Incident who are on the run. We are having difficulties because Mali pulled out of ECOWAS. We will continue to deploy diplomatic means to ensure they are brought to book.
“Please continue to support our efforts to rid our State of illegal activities. If you see something, say something and the authorities will do something. 615 is the toll-free number to call when you notice any security breaches.”
