NSCDC Commander Rejects Police Report on Officer’s Death, Alleges Foreign Interests Behind Attacks on Mining Marshals

Akahi News reports that 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 ₦2 billion in suspicious transactions following the death of a mining marshal operative. Akahi News gathered that Onoja also alleged that foreign nationals involved in illegal mining activities are behind what he described as sustained attacks aimed at discrediting the mining marshals.

The controversy stems from a viral publication titled “Nigeria Police Arrest Three NSCDC Officers over Colleague’s Death, Trace Over ₦2 Billion To Suspect’s Bank Account.” In a swift response, Onoja dismissed the report as false and misleading. He provided bank documents showing that the account in question contained transactions amounting to less than ₦1 million within the last year – a far cry from the alleged ₦2 billion. But why would the police put out such a figure if the bank records say otherwise? That is the question at the heart of this growing feud.

The Bank Account: ₦760,000, Not ₦2 Billion

Onoja went public with specific details to counter the police narrative. Akahi News learnt that he identified the Zenith Bank account number 1008392780 of Jibrin Labaran, stating that the statement of account for the last year contains a total debit of ₦760,457.25 and a total credit of ₦760,129.85. That amount, he explained, represents the officer’s legitimate emoluments – his salary and allowances – not proceeds of crime.

“As against a ₦2 billion claim in the purported police investigation report that was published online,” Onoja said, the difference is staggering. ₦760,000 versus ₦2 billion is not a rounding error. It is a complete fabrication, according to the NSCDC commander. If his figures are accurate, then the police report is not just wrong – it is dangerously misleading. The publication has already gone viral, potentially damaging the reputation of the mining marshals and the deceased officer’s family.

Akahi News had earlier reported on the establishment of the Mining Marshals as a specialised unit to combat illegal mining, which has cost Nigeria billions in lost revenue. The unit has been praised for its aggressive crackdown on illegal miners, many of whom are foreign nationals. That success, according to Onoja, has made enemies – enemies who are now fighting back through police proxies.

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The Police Angle: A History of Blackmail and Disruption

Onoja did not stop at disputing the financial figures. He launched a scathing attack on officers of Team N of the Force Intelligence Department (FID), led by CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi. He accused the team of repeatedly interfering with lawful Mining Marshals’ operations in Nasarawa State, a hotbed of illegal mining activity.

“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, over one year now on the same site as he has consistently disrupted Mining Marshals’ lawful operations on the site,” Onoja alleged. That is a serious accusation. It suggests that a police officer has been working at cross-purposes with a federal security agency for over a year, targeting the very unit meant to protect Nigeria’s mineral wealth.

Akahi News gathered that Onoja claimed the same police team had previously arrested some mining marshals operatives and attempted to undermine ongoing prosecutions involving suspected illegal miners. If true, that would amount to obstruction of justice. It would also raise questions about whose interests CSP Oyewumi and his team are serving.

Foreign Interests: Chinese Miners Bankrolling the Blackmail?

The most explosive allegation from Onoja is that foreign nationals whose mining operations had been shut down are sponsoring efforts to undermine the mining marshals. He specifically named Chinese nationals whose illegal mining site was shut down in Nasarawa State. “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 said.

That is a direct accusation of corruption and foreign interference in Nigeria’s security apparatus. Akahi News understands that illegal mining has long been dominated by foreign nationals who operate with impunity, often with the connivance of local security forces. If Onoja’s claims are verified, it would mean that a police officer is actively working for foreign illegal miners against a Nigerian government agency.

“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 added. He further claimed that police officers accompanied foreign nationals during an attempt to arrest the lead prosecution counsel for the mining marshals at his residence. “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.

If that incident occurred as described, it would be a major scandal. Police officers escorting foreign nationals to arrest a Nigerian lawyer in his own home – without proper legal process – would be a gross abuse of power. The involvement of soldiers who stopped them suggests that even the military has concerns about the police team’s conduct.

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The Death of Agada Levi: A Tragedy and a Mystery

At the centre of this storm is the death of Agada Levi, a Deputy Superintendent of Corps attached to the Mining Marshals. Onoja acknowledged that Levi died in the line of duty – the first fatality recorded by the unit since its establishment more than two years ago. But he insisted that none of the management team knows anything about the circumstances of his death.

“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. That is a curious statement. If the commander does not know how his officer died, who does? The police claim to have arrested three NSCDC officers in connection with the death. Onoja appears to be suggesting that the police are using the tragedy as a pretext to attack the mining marshals.

“CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi is only trying to use the occasion to achieve his obvious unfinished objectives against the mining marshals,” he alleged. That is a heavy charge: that a police officer is exploiting the death of a security operative to settle personal or professional scores. If true, it would be a betrayal of the spirit of inter-agency cooperation.

Onoja revealed that the NSCDC 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 from the committee without requesting a kobo from the family,” he said. He added that friends of the mining marshals later donated ₦3 million to Levi’s widow. That suggests that the NSCDC is not indifferent to the officer’s death, even as it disputes the police narrative.

Request for DSS Intervention: Seeking Impartial Review

Given the deepening rift between the NSCDC and the police, Onoja has taken the unusual step of requesting that the investigation into Levi’s death be transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS). He said he has written to the Inspector-General of Police to that effect.

“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. That request is a vote of no confidence in the police’s ability to investigate fairly. It also raises the stakes. If the DSS takes over, the findings will carry significant weight. If the police refuse, it may fuel suspicions that they have something to hide.

Akahi News believes that an impartial investigation is in everyone’s interest. The public deserves to know the truth about Levi’s death. The mining marshals deserve to be protected from false accusations. And the police deserve the opportunity to clear their name if the allegations against them are unfounded. The DSS, with its reputation for discreet but thorough investigations, may be the right arbiter.

A Call for Calm Amid the Storm

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.

That plea for calm is wise. The allegations and counter-allegations are already heating up social media. Supporters of the NSCDC and the police are trading barbs. In the middle of it all is the family of Agada Levi, still mourning their loss. They deserve answers, not a public relations war.

Akahi News will continue to follow this story as it develops. The IGP has not yet responded to Onoja’s request. The DSS has not confirmed or denied any involvement. And the police have not issued a rebuttal to Onoja’s specific claims about the bank account and the alleged blackmail. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Finding it will require patience, professionalism, and a commitment to justice over publicity.

For now, the mining marshals remain on duty. Illegal miners remain on notice. And the battle for Nigeria’s mineral wealth continues – on the ground, in the courts, and now, in the media. Who will win? That depends on who controls the narrative. And right now, both sides are fighting hard to be believed.