Nigeria, Feb. 24 -- An Akure Magistrate Court has remanded 15 persons suspected to have been involved in illegal mining of gold in Ondo State.

They are to remain at the Nigeria Correctional facility pending an advice from the director of public prosecution in the state ministry of justice, Damilola Shekoni, the magistrate, ruled.

Mr Shekoni gave the ruling on Monday after the defendants were arraigned on a three count charge of illegal mining contrary to relevant laws of Ondo State.

The court also remanded three suspects arrested by the Ondo State Security Network(Amotekun) for illegal possession of firearms and cattle rearing in a government forest reserve without permission. The 15 suspects were earlier arrested in the forest in Owo ...