The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested five suspected illegal miners involved in the extraction and transportation of ilmenite, a mineral used in the production of titanium.
The suspects, identified as Samuel Akwa, Willie Uboko, Muhammed Tukur, Salmannu Ibrahim, and Jaafar Adam, were apprehended by operatives of the EFCC’s Uyo Zonal Directorate in Akwa Ibom State while transporting 1,200 bags of ilmenite in a truck without authorisation.
According to a statement released by the commission on its official X handle on Friday, the only document presented by the suspects was a waybill showing the consignment belonged to WillJane Global Ventures Limited.
Investigations, however, revealed that the company is owned by one of the suspects, Willie Peter Uboko, who has allegedly been operating without a mining licence for over four years.
Uboko was said to have been moving the mineral to undisclosed destinations.
During interrogation, he reportedly admitted that the consignment was being taken to Onne, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when operatives intercepted them.
The EFCC disclosed that the arrest followed weeks of surveillance along the Mkpanak coastal axis in Ibeno Local Government Area of the state.
It added that the suspects are cooperating with investigators and would be charged to court once investigations are concluded.
The commission has warned that illegal mining not only deprives Nigeria of critical revenue but also fuels insecurity and environmental degradation in host communities.
