Within three weeks this year, Oganyi Franklin made at least N7.6 million from selling illegally sourced lithium, a critical mineral needed for renewable energy transition. He often markets the materials on social media, such as Facebook and TikTok.
After selling one batch, Mr Franklin appeared in a Facebook live video on his friend’s page on 28 February. In the video, he held some whitish stones he identified as “lithium kunzite.”
Mr Franklin, dressed in a black T-shirt and jean hat, said the minerals are “high-graded and well-sorted.”
