The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested five suspected illegal miners involved in the extraction and transportation of ilmenite, locally called ‘black sand’, without the requisite licence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
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Mr Oyewale said the arrest followed weeks of surveillance along the coastal lines of Mkpanak, Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
According to him, the suspects are Samuel Akwa, Willie Uboko, Muhammed Tukur, Salmannu Ibrahim and Jaafar Adam.
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He explained that at the time of their arrest, the suspects were conveying 1,200 bags of Ilmenite in a truck without authorisation.
“All they had was a waybill indicating that the consignment belonged to a certain WillJane Global Ventures Ltd.
“Preliminary investigations into the matter showed that the said company, WillJane Global Ventures Ltd, is owned by one of the suspects, Willie Peter Uboko.
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“He was alleged to have been operating without a mining licence for the past four years and transporting Ilmenite to unidentified destinations,” Mr Oyewale said.
He said that during questioning, the suspect confessed that they were on their way to Onne in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to make a delivery when they were arrested.
He said that the suspects were making useful statements and would be arraigned as soon as investigations were concluded.
ALSO READ: Lead Poisoning: Nigerian govt warns illegal miners to vacate site in Zamfara
The EFCC has been cracking down on illegal miners in different parts of Nigeria lately.
About three months ago, the agency’s operatives arrested two Chinese nationals and six Nigerians over alleged illegal mining activities in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
The Chinese suspects – Zhang Hang Lin and Gao Pei Hai – and their alleged Nigerian conspirators – Matthew Mathias, Oluwaseun Amoo, Wasiu Alao, Ajibola Nurudeen, Ibrahim Yinusa and Saidu Shuaibu – were arrested during a sting operation, the EFCC said.
It also said it recovered from the suspects’ three trucks loaded with sacks of substances suspected to be ground lithium powder, other yet-to-be-identified solid minerals, a Toyota 4Runner SUV, mobile phones, samples of low-grade lithium, Automated Teller Machine cards, the suspects’ international passports, four pieces of LED Flashlight and other documents.
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