The Commander of the Mining Marshals of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), John Onoja, has rejected a police report alleging that more than ₦2 billion in suspicious transactions was traced to the bank account of one of his officers following the death of a mining marshal operative.

Onoja described the report, published under the headline “Nigeria Police Arrest Three NSCDC Officers over colleague’s Death, Trace Over ₦2 Billion To Suspect’s Bank Account”, as false, misleading and part of a broader campaign to discredit the Mining Marshals.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Mining Marshals commander insisted that the bank account in question contained transactions far below the figure alleged in the report.

“The Zenith Bank account number 1008392780 of Jibrin Labaran from the statement of account of the last year contains a total debit of ₦760,457.25 and total credit of ₦760,129.85, being his emolument as an officer, as against a ₦2 billion claim in the purported police investigation report that was published online,” Onoja said.

He further alleged that officers attached to Team N of the Force Intelligence Department (FID), led by CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, had repeatedly interfered with lawful operations of the Mining Marshals in Nasarawa State.

According to him, there has been “a history of consistent blackmail” by the police team, which he accused of disrupting enforcement activities and attempting to frustrate prosecutions involving suspected illegal miners.

Onoja disclosed that he had formally written to the Inspector-General of Police, requesting that investigations into the death of Deputy Superintendent of Corps Agada Levi, a Mining Marshals operative, be transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS) for what he described as an impartial review.

“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.

The commander also dismissed suggestions that the Mining Marshals neglected the family of the deceased officer, stating that the organisation coordinated and funded Levi’s burial arrangements.

“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, adding that friends of the unit later donated ₦3 million to the widow.

Onoja further alleged that foreign nationals involved in illegal mining activities were sponsoring efforts to undermine the Mining Marshals.

“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 alleged.

While confirming that Levi died in the line of duty, Onoja maintained that the management of the Mining Marshals had no involvement in the circumstances surrounding 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,” he said.

He urged members of the public to remain calm and allow relevant authorities to review the matter, expressing confidence that an independent investigation would establish the facts.