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NASARAWA, Nigeria - The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has accused the Nigeria Police Force of collaborating with illegal miners and obstructing justice in Nasarawa State.
This claim was made in a petition submitted to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, where the NSCDC alleged that police officers not only protected suspects but also violently attacked civil defence personnel in an attempt to sabotage ongoing prosecutions.
According to the petition from NSCDC Mining Marshals Commander, John Attah, the conflict escalated after the arrest of one Ali Tanko and several Chinese nationals on October 25, 2024, at a mining site in Rafin Gabas, Kokona Local Government Area.
The suspects, operating without valid licenses, reportedly admitted to illegal mining activities since 2021, and their confessions were recorded on video in the presence of legal representatives.
Following these arrests, the NSCDC initiated two criminal cases, FHC/ABJ/CR/577/2024 and FHC/ABJ/CR/131/2025, at the Federal High Court in Abuja and deployed personnel to secure the mining site.
However, the situation deteriorated after military personnel withdrew on March 26, 2025, leading police operatives to take control and interfere with NSCDC operations.
Tensions heightened on April 3, 2025, when NSCDC officers returned to the site and were reportedly ambushed and fired upon by police personnel.
During this attack, four civil defence operatives, Yarima Yunusa, Inspector Hasuruna Lamshi, Inspector Oliver Kutaya, and Raymond Ibrahim, were disarmed and unlawfully detained.
“This was not a random act,” Attah stated, indicating that the police are actively attempting to undermine the prosecution and protect those involved in illegal mining.
Attah also mentioned a similar occurrence on February 12, 2025, in Lege, Ondo State, where police officers allegedly opened fire on NSCDC personnel during an anti-illegal mining initiative, suggesting a recurring pattern of hostility.
Further confrontations took place on April 8, 2025, when CSP Abdulmajeed from the Force Intelligence Department reportedly led approximately 30 armed officers to the Rafin Gabas site, where four NSCDC operatives, Salihu Mohammed, Yusuf Attahiru, Sambi Joel, and Mustapha Mohammed, were assaulted and arrested.
According to the corps commander, these officers were coerced to falsely implicate him but refused.
Complicating matters, the police allegedly secured a court order preventing the NSCDC from accessing the mining site, effectively halting prosecution efforts and jeopardizing critical evidence.
Describing the police actions as “a calculated effort to protect illegal miners and derail justice,” Attah called on the Senate to investigate the police’s behavior and uphold the integrity of the anti-illegal mining campaign.
The Senate Committee is currently reviewing the petition as observers await the government's response to the rising tensions between the NSCDC and the Nasarawa State Police Force.
