The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has accused operatives of the Nigeria Police Force of frustrating its efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities in Nasarawa State, alleging that some officers have gone as far as aiding suspects and obstructing ongoing investigations.

John Onoja Attah, head of the NSCDC’s Mining Marshals, made the revelations in a petition submitted to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, according to Vanguard Newspaper.

Attah told the committee that some officers from the Force Intelligence Department (FID) of the police had been undermining the Corps’ operations, particularly after the arrest of one Ali Tanko and several Chinese nationals involved in illegal mining at Rafin Gabas, Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa.

“These individuals confessed to operating without any valid mining licences since 2021. We documented their statements, obtained video confessions, and filed two criminal cases against them before the Federal High Court, Abuja,” he said.

He further stated that the Corps had deployed officers to secure the illegal mining site as part of efforts to preserve evidence. However, according to him, the situation changed after the military, which had initially supported the operation, withdrew on March 26, 2025.

“After the military pulled out, police officers from the Force Intelligence Department invaded the site, took control, and began to harass our men. On April 3, 2025, when we returned to the site, we were ambushed by police officers who opened fire on us,” Attah claimed.

According to him, four NSCDC personnel were disarmed and detained by the police during the incident, and no disciplinary actions were taken against those responsible for the attack.

He also recalled a similar occurrence on February 12, 2025, in Lege community, Ondo State, where police officers allegedly fired shots at NSCDC operatives during an anti-illegal mining raid.

Another troubling episode, Attah said, took place on April 8, 2025, when one CSP Abdulmajeed allegedly led about 30 armed policemen to the Rafin Gabas mining site and arrested four NSCDC officers, who were then assaulted and pressured to implicate Attah.

“They refused to give false statements despite being tortured. Instead, they wrote the truth. But surprisingly, the police secured a court order barring us from the site and have since taken over the case. They even tried to withdraw our cases from court without our consent,” Attah stated.

He appealed to the Senate to thoroughly investigate the incidents and protect the integrity of the NSCDC’s mandate to combat illegal mining across Nigeria.

“This is not just about inter-agency rivalry. It is a matter of national interest. Illegal mining has economic and security implications, and the police should not be shielding perpetrators,” he said. (BusienessDay)