NSCDC commander rejects police report, denies ₦2bn fraud allegation

…Seeks DSS probe into officer’s death

The Commander of the Mining Marshals unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), John Onoja, has rejected a police report alleging that one of his officers was linked to over ₦2 billion in suspicious transactions following the death of a colleague.

Responding to a viral publication titled “Nigeria Police Arrest Three NSCDC Officers over Colleague’s Death, Trace Over ₦2 Billion To Suspect’s Bank Account,” Onoja said the report misrepresented the financial records of the officer in question. He also described the claim as false and called for the Department of State Services (DSS) to take over the investigation.

According to him, bank records showed that the officer’s account recorded less than ₦1 million in total transactions over the past year.

“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.

The Mining Marshals commander further accused officers attached to Team N of the Force Intelligence Department (FID), led by CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, of repeatedly interfering with the unit’s operations in Nasarawa State.

“There is a history of consistent blackmail by Team N of the Force Intelligence Department of the Nigeria Police Force headed by one CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi. For over one year, the team has consistently disrupted Mining Marshals’ lawful operations on the site,” he alleged.

Onoja claimed that members of the police team had previously arrested some mining marshals operatives and attempted to frustrate prosecutions involving suspected illegal mining activities.

Amid the controversy surrounding the death of Deputy Superintendent of Corps Agada Levi, a Mining Marshals operative, Onoja disclosed that he had formally requested the transfer of the investigation from the police to the Department of State Services (DSS), citing the need for 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.