NSCDC Confirms ACC John Onoja Attah Not Linked to Disciplinary Action Against 79 Personnel

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has clarified that the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) John Onoja Attah, was not implicated in the recent disciplinary measures taken against 79 personnel of the Corps.

In a statement announcing the disciplinary actions, the NSCDC disclosed that 79 officers were sanctioned for various acts of misconduct, while 12 suspects were arrested over offences including employment racketeering, certificate forgery and other criminal activities. The Corps made no reference to ACC John Onoja Attah or the operations of the Mining Marshals in connection with the disciplinary exercise.

The clarification comes amid sustained public interest in the death of Deputy Superintendent of Corps (DSC) Agada Levi Agada, a Mining Marshals operative, whose killing has remained the subject of ongoing investigations.

Earlier reports had sought to associate the Commander of the Mining Marshals and some officers under his command with the incident. However, ACC Onoja had firmly rejected the allegations, describing them as false, misleading and a deliberate attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Mining Marshals and frustrate the unit's sustained operations against illegal mining across the country.

With the latest disciplinary announcement by the NSCDC, there is no indication that ACC Onoja was found culpable or subjected to any administrative sanction in relation to the death of the officer. The Corps' actions clearly distinguish its internal disciplinary process from the separate criminal investigation into the incident.

The development is seen as reinforcing the position that the ongoing investigation into the death of the Mining Marshals operative remains independent of the disciplinary measures announced by the NSCDC.

Under the leadership of ACC John Onoja Attah, the Mining Marshals have remained a key enforcement unit in the Federal Government's campaign against illegal mining. The unit has recorded significant successes through numerous arrests, prosecutions and enforcement operations targeting illegal mining activities across Nigeria.

The Commander has consistently maintained that vested interests benefiting from illegal mining have orchestrated campaigns aimed at discrediting the Mining Marshals because of the unit's intensified crackdown on economic sabotage in the solid minerals sector.

As investigations into the death of DSC Agada Levi Agada continue, the NSCDC's latest announcement confirms that ACC John Onoja Attah was not among the officers sanctioned, underscoring the distinction between administrative disciplinary actions and ongoing criminal investigations.