News
Ilorin: EFCC Secures Interim Attachment Order on Nine Mineral-Laden Trucks
Ilorin: EFCC Secures Interim Attachment Order on Nine Mineral-Laden Trucks
Ilorin: EFCC Secures Interim Attachment Order on Nine Mineral-Laden Trucks. EFCC Secures Interim Attachment Order on Nine Mineral-Laden 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.

EFCC
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.
Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity
February 18, 2026
Economy
NNPC Ltd. HSE Chief Sets Tone For Industry-Wide Safety Standards
NNPC Ltd. HSE Chief Sets Tone For Industry-Wide Safety Standards
NNPC Ltd.’s Chief Health, Safety and Environment Officer, Tonye Alagba, has urged Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) personnel across the company to strengthen collaboration and build a unified HSE team.
Alagba, who made the call at the recent First Quarter 2026 HSE Council Meeting held in Abuja from 15th to 17th April, 2026, called for collective responsibility, strict compliance, and proactive prevention of HSE violations across all business units.

NNPC
NNPC Ltd. values strict HSE adherence across all its businesses and operations. The HSE Council Meeting signals the company’s broader intent to raise the bar for safety culture across Nigeria’s energy sector.
Economy
NNPC, SNEPCo, NCDMB Donate Geosciences Centre To UNILAG
NNPC, SNEPCo, NCDMB Donate Geosciences Centre To UNILAG
NNPC Limited, in partnership with Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), commissioned and donated the newly built UNILAG Geosciences Centre of Excellence to the University on Friday.
Purposely built to strengthen geosciences education and research in Nigeria, the Centre was inaugurated by the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services Ltd. (NUIMS), Olanrewaju Igandan, alongside the Managing Director of SNEPCo, Ronald Adams; Director of Capacity Building (NCDMB), Abayomi Bamidele; Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule; and the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Folasade Ogunsola.
The Centre boasts of a 250-seat auditorium, geoscience and instrumentation laboratories, a rock preparation workshop, hydrogeology, mineralogy, environmental geology, sedimentary and palaeoenvironmental sciences laboratories, a seismic interpretation room, a modern library, a digital museum, and collaborative spaces for students and researchers. It is also supported by a 600 kVA transformer, a 40 kVA solar power facility, and a field investigation coaster bus.

SNEPCo, NNPC
By connecting academia, industry, and government under one roof, the Centre provides Nigerian students and researchers with hands-on access to modern energy tools, reduces the oil and gas industry’s reliance on international markets for testing and training, and builds the in-country expertise Nigeria’s energy sector needs.
NNPC Limited remains committed to driving capacity building, supporting national development, and working with partners to secure a stronger energy future for Nigeria.
News
APGA Will No Longer Tolerate Vote Buying, Transactional Politics At Primaries, Says Soludo
APGA Will No Longer Tolerate Vote Buying, Transactional Politics At Primaries, Says Soludo
The Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, says the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) primaries will no longer permit monetary inducement or transactional politics.
He spoke on Saturday at the party’s South-East zonal stakeholders’ meeting in Awka.
Mr Soludo linked the party’s slow growth since 2002 to a culture where officials allegedly exploited aspirants during primaries.
He said the practice weakened internal democracy, discouraged credible participation and undermined institutional development.
“The era of marketing party tickets is over. Parties must be driven by values, policies and accountability, not commerce,” he said.
Mr Soludo lamented a system where party funds were allegedly shared immediately, leaving no structure for sustainable financing.
“The party has not grown because past leaderships treated it as a business venture. That must stop,” he added.
He urged stakeholders to reassess direction and rebuild APGA as a transparent, accountable and ideologically driven platform.
“Our tickets are not for sale. We are rebuilding the party into what it should be, not a trading post,” he said.
Mr Soludo said past practices, where aspirants were allegedly misled after financial commitments, eroded trust and discouraged genuine investment.
He warned that “give-and-take” politics in APGA had ended, stressing the party must serve collective interests.
APGA National Chairman, Sylvester Ezeokenwa, announced an 11-point code of conduct for future primaries.
Mr Ezeokenwa said the framework would promote transparency, equity and internal democracy, while addressing disputes in nomination processes.
He said the party would adopt the Option A4 voting system for the 2026 primaries to enhance transparency and accountability.
“In the past, flawed primaries undermined APGA. Clear rules are needed to address these challenges,” he said.
According to him, the code bans officials from wearing campaign materials or accepting gifts and prohibits the distribution of money or items during primaries.
Mr Ezeokenwa added that only expression of interest fees would be paid initially, with nomination fees after successful screening.
He said officials must not attend private endorsement events and should step aside if supporting any aspirant.

Chukwuma Soludo
“Even presenting money as a kola nut or gift-sharing has been banned,” he said.
Earlier, National Vice Chairman (South-East), Chief Augustine Ehiemere, cited inadequate funding as a major challenge.
Mr Ehiemere urged elected and appointed officials to support the party’s platform for financial sustainability.
“Political activities require logistics, mobilisation and administration. Without funding, the party cannot function effectively,” he said.
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