The Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals,ACC Attah Onoja, has accused operatives of the Nigeria Police Force’s Force Intelligence Department (FID) of orchestrating a campaign to tarnish his reputation and allegedly plotting his arrest and possible elimination due to his sustained crackdown on illegal mining activities across the country.
According to a report by Sahara Reporters, Onoja dismissed allegations linking his team to the diversion of N2 billion and the alleged cover-up of the death of an NSCDC officer, describing the claims as fabricated attempts to undermine the Mining Marshals’ operations.
Speaking on the controversy, Onoja said documents already submitted to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun’s successor, IGP Olatunji Disu, and other relevant authorities contradict the allegations being circulated against him.
“The agenda was to blackmail me and destroy the Mining Marshals. The same people have been trying for years because we disrupted their illegal mining activities,” he said.
The commander traced the dispute to a long-running battle over an illegal mining site at Rafin Gabas, where Mining Marshals reportedly shut down operations, seized equipment and arrested suspects, including foreign nationals. He alleged that some police officers repeatedly interfered with efforts to enforce mining regulations at the site.
Onoja specifically accused a senior police officer, CSP Abdulmajid Oyewole, of consistently obstructing government efforts to secure the mining location, adding that he had previously petitioned former IGP Kayode Egbetokun over the officer’s alleged activities before withdrawing the complaint to allow for internal resolution between the agencies.
On the death of NSCDC officer Agada Levi, who was fatally shot in February 2026 while guarding equipment seized from illegal miners, Onoja denied allegations of a cover-up. He said all officers present at the scene were immediately arrested and investigated, with two officers still in custody and facing disciplinary action and prosecution.
He further stated that he personally informed the deceased officer’s family of the incident and facilitated financial support for burial arrangements and the welfare of the widow and relatives.
Addressing allegations that he and members of his team diverted more than N2 billion belonging to the Mining Marshals, Onoja described the accusation as “laughable,” insisting that bank records show total transactions on the account in question amounted to only about N700,000 over a one-year period.
The NSCDC commander also alleged that there were plans to arrest him on the same day negative reports about him surfaced in the media.
According to him, some FID operatives unlawfully detained several Mining Marshals officers and allegedly moved them between different detention facilities despite a directive from the Inspector-General of Police ordering their release.
Onoja said he had requested that any investigation concerning the death of the officer be transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS), arguing that the Police FID could not conduct an impartial investigation because of its alleged involvement in the dispute.
Despite the allegations and ongoing controversy, Onoja maintained that he would not be deterred from pursuing illegal mining operators across the country.
“For the first time in this country, somebody is standing against every form of support for illegal mining regardless of who is involved,” he said, adding that he has nothing to fear because he has committed no offence.
