A Lagos-based mining company, Glister Success Limited, has petitioned the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, over what it described as the unlawful seizure of its truck and goods.
The firm also lamented “repeated arrests and detention” of its employees by officials of the commission from the Ilorin Zonal Office.
In a petition dated March 5, 2026, and obtained by Sunday PUNCH on Friday, the company, through its solicitors, Biodun Abdu-Raheem & Co., called for an investigation into the conduct of the EFCC officers involved and demanded the release of its impounded truck and marble products.
The company alleged that operatives of the commission first seized its truck and marble rock on March 20, 2024, and detained some of its employees without lawful justification.
It stated that the commission’s officers allegedly refused to release the vehicle and the detained workers despite the presentation of valid operational licences and proof of payment of relevant government dues.
The firm stated that the workers were eventually released after being held in custody for more than four weeks, following a court order in Suit No. HOG/MISC.8/2024.
“Our client informed us that on the 20th day of March 2024, officials of the EFCC, Ilorin Zonal Office, without any lawful basis, seized the company truck and goods (marble rock).”
These officials also went ahead to detain our client’s employees in a manner intended to violate their right to personal liberty as contained in Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to say the least,” the petition reads.
The company alleged that the same officers returned on November 28, 2025, to seize its goods and arrest its workers over what the firm described as a “similar issue.”
The petition revealed that the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development later wrote to the EFCC confirming the legality of the company’s mining operations.
Despite this confirmation, the company claimed that the seized truck and goods remained in EFCC custody, while the workers arrested during the second incident were released about a week later.
According to the petition, the company’s staff now live in fear of further arrest and harassment.
“Our client’s staff are in constant fear of daily threats and harassment, including detention without any reasonable justification,” the petition read.
The company maintained that it had been a licensed mining firm under the Federal Government since 1997 and operates in compliance with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.
It added that its operations involve processing marble rock into calcium carbonate, which is used as raw material for Nigerian industries.
The firm argued that the actions of the EFCC officials amounted to intimidation and a violation of the company’s fundamental rights.
It urged the EFCC chairman to investigate the activities of the Ilorin Zonal Office, identify the officers responsible for the alleged actions, release the impounded truck and goods, and order an end to what it described as the indiscriminate arrest and detention of the company’s employees.
“Given the continuing risk of violation of our client’s fundamental rights, we respectfully urge your office to treat this complaint with utmost urgency,” the petition concluded.
Efforts to get comment from the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on the matter were unsuccessful, as he neither answered calls nor responded to messages sent to his phone.
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