Police vs NSCDC: Mining Marshals commander exposes truth behind officer’s death

The Commander of the Mining Marshals of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, John Onoja, has rejected a police report linking one of his officers to over N2 billion in suspicious transactions following the death of a mining marshal operative.

In a statement on Monday, Onoja said contrary to the police’s claim, foreign nationals involved in illegal mining activities are behind the death of its operative. 

Recall that the Nigeria Police had arrested three NSCDC officers over a colleague’s death and allegedly traced over N2 billion to the suspect’s bank account.

Reacting, Onoja described the report as false and misleading.

He said the account allegedly linked to the investigation recorded transactions amounting to less than N1 million within the last year.

“The Zenith Bank account number 1008392780 of Jibrin Labaran from the statement of account of the last year contains a total debit of N760,457.25 and total credit of N760,129.85, being his emolument as an officer, as against a N2 billion claim in the purported police investigation report that was published online,” he said.

Onoja accused officers of Team N of the Force Intelligence Department (FID), led by Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, of repeatedly interfering with lawful 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 on the same site, as he has consistently disrupted Mining Marshals’ lawful operations on the site,” he said.

He alleged that the same police team had previously arrested some mining marshals’ operatives and attempted to undermine ongoing prosecutions involving suspected illegal miners.

Onoja said he had written to the inspector-general of police requesting that the investigation into the death of Agada Levi, a deputy superintendent of corps 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.

The Mining Marshals’ Commander said the organisation 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 programs and expenses were carried out by the committee without requesting a kobo from the family,” he said.

Onoja added that friends of the mining marshals later donated N3 million to Levi’s widow.

He further alleged that foreign nationals whose mining operations had been shut down were sponsoring efforts to undermine the mining marshals.

“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.

“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,” he said.

Onoja also claimed that police officers accompanied foreign nationals during an attempt to arrest the lead prosecution counsel for the mining marshals.

“During the said illegal 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 said.

He said the death of Levi was the first fatality recorded by the Mining Marshals since the unit was established more than two years ago.

He said: “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.

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

Onoja urged 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 be calm, and to discountenance their cheap lies and blackmail,” he said.