Pix: Onoja Attah, Commander NSCDC Mining Marshals

By Lateef Ajadi, Abuja

The Commander of the NSCDC Mining Marshals, John Onoja, has dismissed a police investigation report alleging that one of his officers was linked to suspicious financial transactions exceeding ₦2 billion following the death of a fellow operative.

Speaking on Monday, Onoja described the report as false, misleading and calculated to undermine the credibility of the Mining Marshals, a special unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps established to combat illegal mining across the country.

The controversy followed a viral publication claiming that the Nigeria Police arrested three NSCDC officers in connection with the death of a Mining Marshals operative and traced more than ₦2 billion to the bank account of one of the suspects.

Reacting to the allegation, Onoja said records from the officer’s Zenith Bank account showed total transactions of less than ₦1 million over the past year, contrary to the figures contained in the reported police findings.

According to him, the account belonging to Jibrin Labaran recorded a total debit of ₦760,457.25 and a total credit of ₦760,129.85, representing his legitimate earnings as an NSCDC officer.

The commander also accused officers attached to Team N of the Force Intelligence Department, allegedly led by CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, of repeatedly interfering with Mining Marshals operations against illegal mining activities in Nasarawa State. He claimed the disagreement between the two agencies predates the current investigation and has affected several enforcement operations.

Onoja further alleged that the same police team had, on previous occasions, arrested Mining Marshals operatives and attempted to frustrate the prosecution of suspected illegal miners.

He disclosed that he had formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, requesting that the investigation into the death of Deputy Superintendent of Corps Agada Levi be transferred to the Department of State Services for what he described as an independent and impartial review.

Levi, a member of the Mining Marshals unit, reportedly died while on official duty. His death triggered investigations that led to the arrest of some NSCDC personnel by the police.

Defending the conduct of the Mining Marshals leadership, Onoja said the unit took full responsibility for supporting Levi’s family after his death. He stated that a burial committee was established and all funeral expenses were handled without placing any financial burden on the deceased officer’s relatives.

He added that friends and associates of the Mining Marshals also raised ₦3 million to support Levi’s widow during the difficult period.

The commander further alleged that some foreign nationals whose illegal mining operations had been shut down by the Mining Marshals were sponsoring efforts to discredit the unit and its leadership.

Onoja noted that Levi’s death was the first fatality recorded since the creation of the Mining Marshals more than two years ago. While expressing sadness over the incident, he maintained that members of the unit’s management team had no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death.

He urged Nigerians to remain calm and allow the relevant authorities to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official response to the allegations raised by the Mining Marshals commander.