NSCDC petitions Senate, accuses Police of aiding illegal mining

The Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals, John Onoja Attah, has petitioned the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, accusing the Nigeria Police Force of conniving with illegal mining operators.

In the petition, dated June 2, 2025 Attah alleged that lives of his men were being endangered in Nasarawa State by police officers bent on obstructing the prosecution of illegal miners.

Attah alleged that police operatives from the Force Intelligence Department (FID) not only assaulted four NSCDC personnel guarding a sealed illegal mining site in Kokona Local Government Area but also shot at them without provocation.

According to the petition, he recalled that the NSCDC had earlier arrested suspects and shut down the site in October 2024, but the police later took over the location, removed civil defence personnel, and allowed illegal mining to resume.

“The actions of the police undermined our mandate and emboldened those involved in criminal mining activities,” Attah lamented.

He further claimed the police fabricated reports to implicate NSCDC officers in order to shield illegal miners from prosecution. The petition also cited a similar case in Ondo State where civil defence officers were allegedly assaulted by police during an anti-mining operation.

The Senate Committee is expected to begin investigations into the petition and summon the parties involved for questioning.

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