By Sandra Kenneth
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals have categorically denied any participation in the September 16 operation at the M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate in Minna, Niger State, which resulted in fatalities.
The specialised unit maintained that the suspended Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, lacked both the authority and jurisdiction to deploy its personnel.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Onoja Attah, dismissed claims made by the suspended commandant as false, misleading, and a misrepresentation of the corps’ operational command structure.
Disputing the Chain of Command
Aniviye had earlier claimed he visited the mining site on September 15 prior to deploying Mining Marshals operatives to the location. However, Attah rebuffed the assertion, clarifying that no operatives from the unit are attached to any state command.
“No Mining Marshals operative is attached to the Niger State Command or to any State Command of the Corps for that matter,” Attah stated. He emphasized that the unit operates strictly from the national headquarters under the direct command of the Commandant-General in collaboration with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, adding that a state commandant possesses zero authority over their deployment.
Attah further disclosed that he was completely unaware of the operation until news of the tragic incident broke publicly, confirming through operational records that none of the unit’s personnel took part.
The controversy comes amidst an active investigation by the Justice Mohammed Mohammed Commission of Inquiry, which has been tasked with unearthing the facts surrounding the operation, the conduct of the security personnel involved, and the reported custodial deaths.
Defending the integrity of the unit, Attah noted that the Mining Marshals have maintained strict adherence to their rules of engagement under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, boasting zero human rights violation suits in Nigerian courts. He attributed this disciplined standard to the leadership of NSCDC Commandant-General Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi and the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake.
The commander warned against attempts to drag the specialised unit into the scandal and urged media organizations to verify security-related information directly through national headquarters before publication. The commission of inquiry is expected to review evidence and assign accountability as investigations continue.
