Troops seize 5,000 bags of ilmenite, arrest six suspected illegal miners in Bayelsa

Troops of Operation Delta Safe person seized astir 5,000 bags of suspected illegally mined ilmenite soil and arrested six suspected amerciable miners successful Bayelsa State.

According to information analyst, Zagazola Makama, the suspects were arrested astir 4:45 p.m. connected September 13, 2026, erstwhile troops of the 343 Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, deployed successful Tamogbene, Ekeremor Local Government Area, intercepted a woody vessel transporting the mineral.

Makama said the troops acted connected operational quality earlier stopping the vessel and discovering the bags of ilmenite sand.

Six radical suspected of being progressive successful the amerciable mining and proscription of the mineral were arrested during the operation.

“The cognition was portion of efforts to disrupt amerciable mining and the question of illegally extracted minerals done waterways successful the Niger Delta,” Makama said.

He stated that the suspects, the woody vessel and the recovered bags of suspected illegally mined ilmenite soil person been taken into subject custody for further investi...