The Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, has instituted a \u20a62 billion defamation lawsuit against The Guardian Newspaper over a report he described as false, malicious, and damaging to his reputation and that of the agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Filed by his legal counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, the suit challenges a story published on The Guardian\u2019s website on June 23, 2025, titled:
\u201cCommunity Alleges Involvement of Mining Marshals in Illegal Mining.\u201d Onoja argues that the publication not only misrepresented facts but
also undermined the credibility of the Mining Marshals\u2014Nigeria\u2019s newly formed task force established to combat illegal mining activities
across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to court documents, the plaintiff is demanding \u20a62 billion in exemplary damages, claiming the story was \u201cpublished globally without verification or seeking balanced perspectives,\u201d thereby inflicting severe reputational harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe publication is a blatant distortion of facts and a calculated attempt to tarnish my image and the integrity of the Mining Marshals,\u201d
Onoja stated. \u201cThere must be consequences for reckless journalism aimed at misleading the public and undermining national reform
efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further emphasized that the Mining Marshals operate transparently and in line with the rule of law, questioning why the newspaper failed
to reach out to either him or the agency for clarification before going to press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis style of journalism, which ignores basic principles of fairness, balance, and accuracy, not only erodes public confidence in the media
but also threatens the success of ongoing reforms in the solid minerals sector,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Onoja reiterated the unwavering commitment of the Mining Marshals to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu\u2019s Renewed Hope Agenda, under the guidance of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development. He described the
publication as a \u201csponsored attack\u201d designed to discredit the agency\u2019s efforts and distract it from its mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo amount of blackmail or smear campaign will derail our resolve. The Mining Marshals remain focused on sanitizing Nigeria\u2019s mining sector
and dismantling illegal operations that have long plagued our economy,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of the time of filing this report, The Guardian had not issued an official response to the lawsuit. It remains unclear whether the newspaper will retract the story or defend its publication in court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Legal observers say the outcome of the case may set a significant precedent regarding press freedom, responsible journalism, and institutional accountability within Nigeria\u2019s media landscape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, has instituted a \u20a62 billion defamation lawsuit against The Guardian Newspaper over a report he described as false, malicious, and damaging…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pages"],"yoast_head":"\n