• Police and NSCDC officials in deadly confrontation over control of mine in Nasarawa
• NSCDC CG disown Mining Marshal over petition to Nigerian Senate
By Gabriel Udeh
The recent spate between the Nigerian Police and the Mining Marshal an outfit under the office of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC) over control of a mining site in Nasarawa state has once again brought to the front burner the inter agency rivalry between the Nigerian police force and the NSCDC while raising question over the legality and corruption allegation over the activities of the Mining Marshal.
A Brewing Crisis
Evidently, mutual suspicion and distrust characterises the relationship between the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Police. The recent incident in Rafin Gabas, Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, which almost degenerated into an all out shoot-out between the police and the Corp, only serves to emphasise this fact.
According to information available to daybreak Nigeria Police operatives from the Force Headquarters in execution of a court order allegedly stormed the mining site to secure it and conduct investigation over series of petitions only to discover that the site has been taken over by the NSCDC, Mining Marshals.
The police team, reportedly led by one Chief Superintendent Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, acting on a Federal High Court order had to retreat to avoid an all out bloody confrontation. However, the NSCDC’s Mining Marshals reportedly challenging the legitimacy of the court order, alleging that it was obtained through suppression of facts.
NSCDC, Mining Marshal Petitions Police
The Mining Marshal after the confrontation with the police quickly petitioned the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, accusing the Nigeria Police of obstructing the prosecution of illegal miners arrested in Rafin Gabas, Nasarawa State.
The petition, was copied to key government officials—including the Ministers of Interior, Solid Minerals, and Police Affairs, as well as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission. The petition was dated June 2, 2025, with reference No: NSCDC/NHQ/CG/MM/Vol.6/001/2025. Curiously the petition was signed by the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, raising questions on where he drew the authority to petition the Inspector General of Police without clearance from his boss, the Comptroller General (CG) of the NSCDC.
The petition alleges that officers of the Force Intelligence Department (FID), led by CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, invaded the mining site, assaulted and arrested NSCDC personnel, and interfered with legal proceedings. The arrested miners, who including Chinese nationals, reportedly confessed to operating without licenses since 2021 and were said to be facing trial in Abuja.
The NSCDC further claims that the Police obtained a court order based on false information, using it to disrupt its operations. The petition also alleges that CSP Abdulmajeed attempted to coerce detained NSCDC officers into implicating their commander and threatened military bombardment of the secured site.
Police Response to Storming the Minning Site
Sources within the Nigerian police revealed to this newspaper that the police apart from acting on a court order has been receiving series of petitions against the activities of the Mining Marshal bordering on high-handedness, illegal detention, extortion of detainees, false accusation and illegally sealing off mining sites even when operators of the mines are in procession of mining licences and consent documents from the host communities. There have also been accusation against the Minning Marshal of displacing legal mine operators and owners only to turn around to give protection to other parties to resume mining activities with the connivance of high government officials especially in the ministry of solid minerals.
Reacting to the development, Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi explained that the police were not at the site to dispute its control but were acting on a legitimate investigative mission. “I can authoritatively confirm that our operatives were assigned to investigate serious cases of murder and criminal activity following multiple petitions from residents in the area,” Adejobi said. “The investigation is ongoing, and some security operatives may also be required to answer questions. This operation is not about guarding mining sites.” He reportedly said.
NSCDC Commandant Dissociate Corp from Petition, Disowns Onoja
However, in a swift and dramatic twist to the petition by the commander of the Minning Marshal the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, ordered the immediate withdrawal of Mining Marshal’s Petition to Senate Against the Police.
In a statement issued on Sunday June 8, 2025 and signed by CSC Babawale Afolabi, the National Public Relations Officer of the Corps, the Commandant General categorically dissociated the Corps’ Management from the petition. He stated that John Attah Onoja acted without clearance and was not mandated to engage the Senate on such a sensitive inter-agency matter. According to him the petition was, “unauthorized and outside the operational purview of the officer involved”.
Dr Audi emphasized the importance of a harmonious relationship between the NSCDC and the Nigeria Police Force, disclosing that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was not aware of the incident prior to the filing of the petition. He further noted that the IGP has consistently demonstrated goodwill and cooperation towards the NSCDC in advancing national security and the objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. “I have spoken to the IGP on the matter and sincerely apologise for the embarrassment that the petition might have caused,” the NSCDC CG said.
“I have also directed that the petition be withdrawn immediately with a view to resolving it administratively without any rancour.” The CG also vowed to take disciplinary measures against Onoja for what obviously amounts to acts of insubordination.
Onoja In The Eye Of The Storm
Observers have however pointed out that the petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges was a face saving move by Onoja to divert attention from scrutiny and serious allegations of corruption pending before him. Apart from the serious allegation of corruption against Onoja , there is also an ongoing investigation of misconduct and interference against him and his men over a mining site in Rafin Gabbas in Nasarawa State. The allegation against the Mining Marshal includes, culpable homicide, trafficking of underage children for forced labour, and obstruction of justice.
In suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/901/2025, filed before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Nigeria Police accused John Onoja, Commander of the NSCDC’s Mining Marshal, of facilitating illegal mining through two companies: Capital Apex Synergy Global Services Ltd and Nizhong Mining Company Ltd.
An affidavit submitted by Gregory Woje on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police detailed that the Force received four petitions—two from traditional rulers and two from legal practitioners—alleging illegal mining activities and resultant deaths. These activities were alleged to have been facilitated by Onoja and his recent grandstanding are attempts to divert attention from investigation.
The affidavits in support of the legal action claims that trafficked underage children from several northern states were exploited for mining work under hazardous conditions and reportedly fed hard drugs to keep them working.
According to the affidavit, many of these children have died and were buried in secret, while community members attempting to report the abuses faced threats, injuries, or even death, causing widespread fear that has affected farming and other daily activities. The Mining Marshal allegedly in cohort with the owners of the mines turned a blind eye and gave protection to owners of the mines covering up their nefarious activities.
However , the affidavit noted that NSCDC officials arrested in the cause of investigation were later released while investigation were yet to be concluded, further complicating inter-agency relations.
In response to the submissions, Justice Nwite issued a ruling on May 20, 2025, granting an order restraining John Onoja and his team from interfering with or conducting operations at the mining site pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.
Onoja acting on the orders from top government officials who have been fingered as proxy owners of the mines reportedly violated the restraining order by conducting operations and deploying his men on the mining site and allowed mining activities to continue in defiance of court orders, a situation that led to the confrontation between the mining marshal and the Nigerian police force.
Dele Alake and Onoja Alliance
Sources within the NSCDC have alleged that Dele Alake the minister of solid minerals and the head of the mining Marshall John Onoja have an unbreakable bond hence he was hand picked by the minister in the first place to head the unit after its creation about a year ago. The allegation is that Onoja is an in-law to the minister hence he was given the job ab-initio. Speaking on the relationship a Source within the NSCDC opined that this relationship may not be unconnected to why Onoja behaves as if he is untouchable: ” it is no secret that John Onoja is an in-law to the minister, that is why he is operating like a rogue officer and only reports to the minister of solid minerals, who has equally ensured his rapid promotion within the service. He has been promoted twice within the last three years, while many of his colleagues have remained in the same rank for upward of about five years and more. He doesn’t report to his immediate boss who is suppose to be the head of the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation. However the conundrum was created by the CG himself who behaves more like a politician than a professional officer. The CG Special Intelligence Unit(SiS) derives it’s power from the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigations (DII) headed by a Deputy Commandant General, does the Commander of CGSIS who is far junior to a DCG report to the DCG? The answer is No. The Corp itself needs a lot of house cleaning. It is no surprise therefore that the mining marshal is like a private army of a politician and a power onto itself. The situation has irked the hierarchy of the Corp who have watched with consternation the unprofessional conduct of a subordinate who defy official line of reporting with impunity because he is being protected by a politician. His unilateral action of writing a petition against the IGP against all known procedural rules tells you how power drunk Onoja has become.”.
Legality Of Minning Marshall
Some legal expert who spoke with our correspondent have weighed in on the legality or otherwise of the activities of the Mining Marshal describing it as an illegal contraption that is not backed by law. Speaking to our correspondent an Abuja based legal practitioner, John Okocha wonder were the mining marshal draws its powers, “What is the source of their power. Nigeria is not a banana republic, democracy is based on the rule of law not on the whim of individuals no matter the good intensions. The establishment act of the NSCDC is based the 2003 and 2007, Acts of the National Assembly, none of these gives allowances for the existence of any entity like the mining marshal so the question is where do they derive power from? Clearly its is an illegal creation not backed by any known law, hence the impunity we are witnessing. If there has been an enabling law there would be guidelines and operational procedures, not the whim of an individual, its a dangerous precedence that must be checked or else every minister can now set up an armed gang drawing men from any of the security services and give it a fancy name and allow it to operate with impunity”.
“Even if you want to accommodate it under critical and national infrastructure, why then does the mining marshal not report to the CNAI Directorate where the power to operate comes from? Why reporting directly to the minister? Nations are build by strong institution not strong individuals or institution created to satisfy individual ego”.
If the minister of solid minerals desires the creation of a mining marshal that would be institutionalised under the NSCDC the right thing to do is follow due process, push for an amendment of the NSCDC Act to accommodate the mining marshal. As currently constituted any smart lawyer who decides to go to court to challenge the legality of the mining marshal may win the case”
Also speaking in similar light a legal practitioner, Uyi Precious, opined that the creation of the Forest Guard by the federal government takes pre-eminence over the mining marshal. According to him, “One is a creation by a binding executive order by Mr president and the other a contraption hurriedly put together my a minister. Except he claims superiority over a presidential order the mining marshal cannot exist side by side with the forest guard. they seizes to exist by the consequential pronouncement of Mr president creating the forest guard. The forest guard cannot exist side by side with the mining marshal, it would be a duplication and a recipe for conflict, if they are already having conflict with the police imagine what would happen when the forest guard becomes fully operational. The Forest Guard would operate in forested areas of he country and we know this as the areas were illegal mining takes place”
