Key Takeaways

• The NSCDC Mining Marshals have denied involvement in the September 16 operation at M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate in Minna, Niger State.
• Commander John Onoja Attah said the suspended Niger State NSCDC commandant lacked the authority to deploy Mining Marshals personnel.
• Attah maintained that the unit operates under the direct command of the NSCDC Commandant-General rather than state commands.
• The commander said the unit’s records showed that its personnel were not deployed for the operation.
• Attah also defended the unit’s enforcement practices and made claims about its human rights record.
• The Justice Mohammed Mohammed-led Commission of Inquiry is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the conduct of security personnel.
• The commander’s denial is not a substitute for the commission’s findings, which are not provided in the supplied report.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals have denied involvement in the September 16 operation at M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate in Minna, Niger State, where some persons died.

According to Naija News, the unit said the suspended Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, lacked the authority to deploy Mining Marshals personnel for the operation.

The denial comes as the Justice Mohammed Mohammed-led Commission of Inquiry continues investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the conduct of the security operatives involved.

Mining Marshals Dispute Account of Minna Operation

The Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Onoja Attah, made the position known in a statement issued on Saturday.

Attah described the claim attributed to Aniviye as false and misleading. The suspended commandant had reportedly said he visited the mining site on September 15 before sending Mining Marshals personnel to the area.

Attah disputed that account, arguing that it misrepresented the specialised unit’s command structure and operational jurisdiction.

NSCDC Mining Marshals Explain Their Command Structure

Attah said Mining Marshals personnel were not attached to state commands and operated under the direction of the NSCDC national headquarters.

“No Mining Marshals operative is attached to the Niger State Command or to any State Command of the Corps for that matter,”

He explained that the unit worked under the direct command, control and operational directives of the NSCDC Commandant-General, in partnership with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.

According to Attah, state commandants did not have the authority to deploy Mining Marshals personnel for assignments.

The commander also said the Commandant-General had publicly stated on several occasions that the specialised unit was not involved in the operation.

Commander Says Unit Records Show No Deployment

Attah said he only became aware of the operation after reports of the incident emerged. He maintained that the suggestion that Mining Marshals personnel participated in the operation was inconsistent with the unit’s established chain of command.

He further said the unit’s operational records showed that none of its personnel had been deployed to the location.

“Our operational records confirm that at no time were Mining Marshals personnel deployed or involved in the said operation,”

Attah warned against linking the unit to the deaths under investigation. However, his statements represent the commander’s account of the incident; the available report does not provide the Commission of Inquiry’s final findings.

Mining Marshals Defend Their Enforcement Record

The commander also defended the unit’s enforcement activities under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, describing its operations as professional and lawful.

Attah said the unit had followed its rules of engagement since its establishment. He also claimed that it had no record of human rights violations anywhere in the country and no pending fundamental rights enforcement suit against it in any court.

He credited the unit’s standard operating procedures to the leadership of NSCDC Commandant-General Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi and the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake.

These claims were made by the commander and have not been independently established by the information contained in the supplied report.

Commission of Inquiry Continues Probe Into Minna Deaths

The Justice Mohammed Mohammed-led Commission of Inquiry is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the September 16 incident and the conduct of the security personnel involved.

The inquiry is significant because the competing accounts concerning the deployment of personnel raise questions about who authorised the operation and which security operatives participated.

The supplied report does not state that the commission has reached a final conclusion. The Mining Marshals’ denial therefore should not be treated as a final determination of responsibility, just as the allegations against any personnel should not be treated as proven without supporting findings.

Attah urged the media to verify information about Mining Marshals operations through the unit’s national headquarters. He said responsible reporting was particularly important when security agencies were linked to allegations involving deaths in custody.

The circumstances of the Minna operation, including the roles of the personnel involved, remain matters for the ongoing inquiry to establish.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why have the NSCDC Mining Marshals denied involvement in the Minna deaths?

Mining Marshals Commander John Onoja Attah said the unit’s personnel were not involved in the September 16 operation and that the unit’s operational records showed no deployment to the location.

2. Where did the incident happen?

The incident occurred at M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate in Minna, Niger State, on September 16, according to the supplied report.

3. Who is John Onoja Attah?

John Onoja Attah is identified in the report as the Commander of the NSCDC Mining Marshals and an Assistant Commandant of Corps.

4. What did Attah say about the suspended Niger State commandant?

Attah disputed the account attributed to suspended Niger State NSCDC Commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye and said a state commandant did not have the authority to deploy Mining Marshals personnel.

5. Who is investigating the incident?

The Justice Mohammed Mohammed-led Commission of Inquiry is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the conduct of the security operatives involved.

6. Has the Commission of Inquiry cleared the Mining Marshals?

The supplied report does not provide a final finding from the commission. The unit’s denial should therefore not be described as an official clearance by the inquiry.

7. What law governs the Mining Marshals’ enforcement activities, according to the commander?

Attah referred to the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, when defending the unit’s enforcement activities.

8. What happens next in the investigation?

The commission’s probe is continuing, according to the report. Its findings would be needed to clarify the circumstances of the operation and the roles of the security personnel involved.