EFCC grills 5 suspects over illegal mining of ‘black sand’ in Uyo

Five suspects allegedly involved in the extraction and transportation of ilmenite, locally called ‘black sand’ without the requisite licence have been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

The suspects identified as: Samuel Eshiet Akwa, Willie Peter Uboko , Muhammed Tukur , Salmannu Ibrahim and Jaafar Adam were arrested on August 13 2025 while conveying 1,200 bags of Ilmenite in a truck without authorization< Dele Oyewale, spokesperson for EFCC said in a statement. The agency said the arrest followed weeks of surveillance along the coastal lines of Mkpanak, at Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. According to the statement, all that the suspects had was a waybill indicating that the consignment belonged to a certain WillJane Global Ventures Limited. EFCC said preliminary investigations into the matter showed that the said company, WillJane Global Ventures Limited, is owned by one of the suspects, Willie Peter Uboko. "He was alleged to have been operating without a mining licence for the past four years and transporting Ilmenite to unidentified destinations. "During questioning, the suspect said they were on their way to Onne in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to make a delivery when they were arrested. "The suspects are making useful statements and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded," Oyewale concluded.