Nigeria, May 17 -- The Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has convicted two truck drivers, Abdulkareem Hussaini and Aliyu Ladan of unlawful possession of solid minerals.

Trial judge Abimbola Awogboro on Thursday sentenced the convicts to one year imprisonment each in two judgements in the separate cases instituted against them.

But the judge gave them an option of N1 million in lieu of imprisonment, a statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stated on Friday.

The statement said the judge handed down the verdicts following the defendants pleading guilty to the separate charges preferred against them.

After the defendants pleaded guilty, EFCC's counsel, Sesan Ola, urged the judge to convict and sentence...