EFCC Arrest 5 suspected illegal miners in Akwa Ibom

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has arrested five illegal miners in the state of Akwa Ibom.

The Head of EFCC Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, revealed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

He said the suspects were involved in ilmenite extraction and transportation, locally called “black sand,” without the licenses needed in Uyo, the capital of the state.

Oyewale added that the arrest followed weeks of supervision along the MKPanak coastline, in the regional government of Ibeno in the state.

He registered the suspects as Samuel Eshiet Akwa, Willie Peter Uboko, Muhammmed Tukur, Salmannu Ibrahim, and Jaafar Adam.

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“At the time of their arrest, the suspects delivered 1,200 ilmenite pockets in a truck without permission.

“All they have is Waybill which shows that the consignment of Willjane Global Ventures Ltd.

“Initial investigation of this problem shows that the company, Willjane Global Ventures Ltd., is owned by one of the suspects, Willie Peter Uboko.

“He is alleged to have been operating without mining licenses for the past four years and transports ilmenite to unknown destinations,” the spokesman said.