Mining Marshals Reject Kogi Rep's Allegations, Petition Speaker

The Mining Marshals unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has formally petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to disregard allegations leveled against them by Abdullahi Danga, a member of the House representing Adavi/Okehi Federal Constituency in Kogi State. The petition seeks to counter claims made during a plenary session where Danga called for an investigation into the unit's operations, funding, and legal standing.

Danga had accused the Mining Marshals of exceeding their statutory mandate, engaging in illegal arrests and detentions of licensed miners, extortion, abuse of power, and financial misconduct. He urged the House to probe these alleged activities and the unit's funding.

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We hold in high regard the constitutional and oversight responsibilities of the National Assembly. However, the allegations contained in the motion are false and disparaging, and are capable of gravely discouraging officers and men who daily risk their lives to combat illegal mining in difficult terrains across the country.

However, the Mining Marshals, in an eight-page petition dated July 24, 2026, and signed by their Commander, Assistant Commandant of Corps Attah Onoja, dismissed the allegations as false and disparaging. They asserted that these claims were intended to undermine the Federal Government's reform efforts in the solid minerals sector, spearheaded by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake.

The unit acknowledged the National Assembly's oversight role but emphasized that such accusations could demoralize officers who risk their lives combating illegal mining in challenging terrains. They further argued that Danga's claims were largely based on prior allegations made by a police officer, CSP Abdulmajeed Oyewumi, which they insisted had already been refuted with documentary evidence, including bank statements and published rejoinders. The Marshals also suggested the police officer might face prosecution for allegedly facilitating the escape of foreign nationals accused of illegal mining, implying a motive behind the allegations.

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The allegations had been comprehensively rebutted with documentary evidence, including the bank statement of the officer concerned and official rejoinders published in national newspapers.