NSCDC Mining Marshals Commander Disputes ₦2bn Police Claim, Alleges Plot by Illegal Miners

0

The Commander of the Mining Marshals of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, John Onoja, has faulted a police report linking one of his officers to over ₦2bn in suspicious transactions following the death of a mining marshal operative.

Onoja also alleged that foreign nationals involved in illegal mining activities were sponsoring efforts to discredit the Mining Marshals and frustrate their operations.

In a statement issued on Sunday in response to a viral publication titled, “Nigeria Police Arrest Three NSCDC Officers Over Colleague’s Death, Trace Over ₦2bn To Suspect’s Bank Account,” Onoja described the report as false and misleading.
According to him, the bank account allegedly linked to the investigation recorded less than ₦1m in transactions within the last year.

“The Zenith Bank account number 1008392780 belonging to Jibrin Labaran contains a total debit of ₦760,457.25 and a total credit of ₦760,129.85 in the last year, representing his emoluments as an officer, contrary to the ₦2bn claim contained in the purported police investigation report,” he said.

The Mining Marshals commander accused officers of Team N of the Force Intelligence Department, led by CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, of repeatedly interfering with the unit’s operations in Nasarawa State.

He alleged that the police team had disrupted lawful enforcement activities and attempted to frustrate prosecutions involving suspected illegal miners.

Onoja disclosed that he had written to 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 an independent review.

“Hence, my letter to the IGP requesting that the matter be transferred to the DSS for impartial review and handling. The modest thing to do was for the police to transfer the case to the DSS,” he said.
He stated that the Mining Marshals supported Levi’s family after his death and sponsored his burial.

“I called a meeting of family members in my office and set up a burial committee, and all programmes and expenses were carried out by the committee without requesting a kobo from the family,” he added.

Onoja further revealed that friends of the Mining Marshals later donated ₦3m to the deceased officer’s widow.

The commander also alleged that foreign nationals whose illegal mining sites had been shut down were behind attempts to undermine the unit.

“We have it on good authority that the Chinese men whose illegal mining site was shut down in Nasarawa State are the ones bankrolling CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi for this blackmail,” he claimed.

He further alleged that police officers accompanied foreign nationals during an attempt to arrest the lead prosecution counsel handling cases involving the Mining Marshals.

According to him, security personnel stationed at the lawyer’s residence prevented the arrest.
Onoja maintained that while Levi died in the line of duty, the management of the Mining Marshals had no involvement in the circumstances surrounding his death.

“We are not denying that Agada Levi died in the line of duty, sadly. But none of the management team of the Mining Marshals knows anything about his death,” he said.
He urged the public to remain calm and allow relevant authorities to review the matter.

“To this end, while the DSS begins to look into the investigation of this case on our request, we urge the public and all patriotic Nigerians to remain calm and discountenance what we consider cheap lies and blackmail,” he added.