EFCC ARRESTS FIVE SUSPECTED ILLEGAL MINERS WITH 1,200 BAGS OF BLACK SAND IN AKWA IBOM
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Uyo Zonal Directorate, has arrested five men for allegedly mining and transporting 1,200 bags of ilmenite, locally known as black sand, without the required licence.
The suspects — Samuel Akwa, Willie Uboko, Muhammed Tukur, Salmannu Ibrahim, and Jaafar Adam — were apprehended on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, while conveying the mineral in a truck.
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In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, the EFCC said the suspects were found with a waybill indicating that the consignment belonged to WillJane Global Ventures Limited, owned by one of the accused, Willie Peter Uboko. The commission alleged that Uboko had been operating without a mining licence for four years, transporting ilmenite to unidentified destinations.
According to investigators, the men were en route to Onne, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to make a delivery when they were intercepted. The arrests followed weeks of surveillance along the coastal lines of Mkpanak, Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
“The suspects are making useful statements and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” the EFCC said.
Ilmenite, a titanium-iron oxide mineral, is used in producing titanium dioxide a pigment widely applied in paints, plastics, and paper — and requires government authorisation for mining and transportation in Nigeria.
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