Court Grants EFCC Interim Attachment Order on Nine Mineral-Laden Trucks Impounded in Ilorin

A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, granted the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 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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