The Commander of the Mining Marshals unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), John Onoja, has challenged a police report linking one of his officers to more than ₦2 billion in alleged suspicious transactions following the death of a mining marshal operative.

Onoja also alleged that foreign nationals involved in illegal mining activities were behind efforts to discredit the Mining Marshals, a specialised unit established to combat illegal mining operations across the country.

Responding to a publication titled “Nigeria Police Arrest Three NSCDC Officers over colleague’s Death, Trace Over ₦2 Billion To Suspect’s Bank Account,” Onoja described the report as false and misleading.

According to him, the bank account referenced in the report recorded transactions amounting to less than ₦1 million over the past year.

“The Zenith Bank account number 1008392780 of Jibrin Labaran, from the statement of account of the last year, contains a total debit of ₦760,457.25 and total credit of ₦760,129.85, being his emolument as an officer, as against a ₦2 billion claim in the purported police investigation report that was published online,” he said.

Onoja further alleged that officers attached to Team N of the Force Intelligence Department (FID), led by CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, had repeatedly interfered with Mining Marshals operations in Nasarawa State.

“There is a history of consistent blackmail by Team N of the Force Intelligence Department of the Nigeria Police Force headed by one CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi. For over a year now, the same team has consistently disrupted Mining Marshals’ lawful operations on the site,” he said.

He alleged that the police team had previously arrested some Mining Marshals operatives and attempted to frustrate ongoing prosecutions involving suspected illegal mining activities.

The commander disclosed that he had formally written to the Inspector-General of Police requesting that the investigation into the death of Deputy Superintendent of Corps Agada Levi, an officer attached to the Mining Marshals, be transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS).

“Hence, my letter to the IGP requesting the matter be transferred to DSS for impartial review and handling. The modest thing to do was for the police to transfer the case to DSS,” he said.

Onoja maintained that the Mining Marshals management supported the family of the deceased officer and sponsored his burial following his death.

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

He added that friends and associates of the Mining Marshals later donated ₦3 million to Levi’s widow.

The NSCDC official also alleged that foreign nationals affected by enforcement actions against illegal mining sites were sponsoring 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 alleged.

“The real players in the background that are using CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi are the foreign nationals that are united as common enemies against the Mining Marshals.”

Onoja further claimed that police officers accompanied foreign nationals during an attempt to arrest the lead prosecution counsel representing the Mining Marshals.

“During the said outing to arrest our lawyer, the soldiers standing guard in the estate did not allow them because, surprisingly, they were in the company of Chinese men to arrest our lawyer in his residence,” he alleged.

He described Levi’s death as the first fatality recorded by the Mining Marshals since the unit was established more than two years ago.

“We are not denying that Agada Levi died in the line of duty, sadly. But none of the Management Team of Mining Marshals knows anything about his death,” Onoja said.

“CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi is only trying to use the occasion to achieve his obvious unfinished objectives against the Mining Marshals.”

The commander called on the public to remain calm while relevant authorities 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 who are reading between the lines to remain calm and discountenance what we consider cheap lies and blackmail,” he said.

The Nigeria Police Force had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.