The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals have called on the House of Representatives to dismiss what they described as baseless and politically driven allegations made against the unit by the lawmaker representing Adavi/Okehi Federal Constituency in Kogi State, Abdullahi Danga.
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‎In an eight-page petition dated July 24, 2026, the Commander of the Mining Marshals, ACC Attah John Onoja, urged Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and members of the National Assembly to disregard the claims, arguing that they were intended to weaken the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms in the solid minerals sector led by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake.
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‎The Marshals acknowledged the National Assembly’s constitutional responsibility to oversee government agencies but maintained that the accusations were unfounded and, if accepted without scrutiny, could discourage officers who risk their lives in the fight against illegal mining across Nigeria.
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‎According to the petition, many of the allegations repeated claims earlier made by CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi of the Force Intelligence Department. The unit said those allegations had already been disproved through documentary evidence, including the officer’s bank records and official rebuttals published in national newspapers.
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‎The Mining Marshals further alleged that the police officer could face criminal charges over his alleged involvement in helping foreign nationals standing trial for illegal mining escape, insisting that the circumstances surrounding the incident revealed the motive behind the accusations against the unit.
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‎Rejecting claims of financial misconduct, the Marshals said they had never received or diverted public funds. They explained that their operations were sustained with limited logistical support from the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the NSCDC.
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‎The petition highlighted the unit’s achievements since its creation, noting that it had dismantled several illegal mining operations, confiscated mining equipment, arrested suspects and secured prosecutions, while improving compliance with mining laws nationwide.
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‎It also credited the unit’s enforcement efforts and wider reforms in the sector for the sharp increase in government earnings from mining, stating that revenue grew from about N6 billion in 2023 to more than N70 billion by June 2026.
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‎The Marshals added that collaboration with the military and other security agencies had strengthened efforts to combat illegal mining, with several suspects currently facing prosecution at the Federal High Court.
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‎Onoja appealed to lawmakers, stakeholders in the mining industry and the public not to be influenced by what he described as attempts to tarnish the image of the Mining Marshals and undermine the progress achieved through the Federal Government’s mining reforms.
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‎He reaffirmed the unit’s commitment to sanitising the mining sector and enforcing the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007, the Mining Regulations 2011 and other relevant government policies aimed at promoting transparency and safety in the industry.
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‎Copies of the petition were forwarded to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, the NSCDC Commandant-General and the Chairman of the House Committee on Solid Minerals Development.