Mining Marshals petition House Speaker to dismiss lawmaker's 'false' allegations on illegal mining fight

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals formally petitioned Speaker Tajudeen Abbas on July 24, 2026, urging the National Assembly to disregard Hon. Abdullahi Danga's allegations as 'false, disparaging and politically motivated.' The unit's Commander, ACC Attah John Onoja, stated the lawmaker's motion contained unfounded claims aimed at undermining Federal Government solid minerals sector reforms led by Minister Dele Alake.

The Mining Marshals countered that Danga's allegations relied on claims by police officer CSP Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi, which they said were publicly refuted with evidence including the officer's bank statements and newspaper rejoinders. They highlighted their operational impact: disrupting illegal mining sites, seizing equipment, arresting suspects, and boosting mining sector revenue from approximately N6 billion in 2023 to over N70 billion by June 2026—a surge attributed to Ministry reforms and their enforcement efforts. The unit stressed it operates with limited logistics support and has never misappropriated public funds.

The Marshals noted their collaboration with military and security agencies has strengthened enforcement, with suspects facing prosecution at Federal High Court. They appealed to National Assembly members, industry stakeholders, and the public to disregard what they called 'malicious attempts to discredit' their work, affirming commitment to sanitizing the mining sector under the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and related policies. With mining revenue jumping over 1,000% in three years, should Nigerians accept these agencies' reform claims at face value—or demand greater transparency on how anti-illegal mining operations are funded and overseen?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/07/25/mining-marshals-petition-reps-speaker-tackle-lawmaker/