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| The trucks. |
The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, secured an interim attachment order on nine trucks loaded with assorted solid minerals, as well as the final forfeiture of the contents of another truck, in a sustained crackdown on illegal mining activities in Kwara and Oyo States.
The order was granted by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of
the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin following an ex parte application by
the EFCC.
The trucks were intercepted during a sting operation
carried out by operatives of the Commission on February 1, 2026, which led to
the arrest of several suspects. Investigations revealed that the minerals were
allegedly mined and transported without lawful authority.
Consequently, the Commission approached the court
seeking an interim attachment of the vehicles pursuant to Sections 6(d), 7(2)
and 34(1) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004, as well as Section 329 of the
Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Moving the application, EFCC counsel, Cosmas Ugwu,
urged the court to grant an order restraining any form of disposal, sale,
lease, mortgage or tampering with the trucks and their contents pending the
conclusion of investigations. The application was supported by a ten-paragraph
affidavit deposed to by an EFCC investigator, Ali Aji Muhammed, who stated that
the vehicles were recovered conveying solid minerals sourced from unlicensed
miners.
In her ruling, Justice Awogboro granted the
application and ordered the interim forfeiture of the nine trucks and the
minerals contained in them. Some of the affected vehicles include a Dongfeng
truck with registration number T23-938-LA, a DAF truck marked DKU 566 XA, a
Shacman truck with registration number AAA 95 YN and a Howo truck with
registration number TRE 419 YJ.
In a related development, the court also ordered the
final forfeiture of solid minerals contained in a truck with registration
number LRN 122 XXX after the property was declared unclaimed and subsequently
came into the possession of the Commission.
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