2 Mining Marshals Dismissed For Providing Illegal Miners Arms

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has dismissed two operatives of the Mining Marshal Unit for unlawfully providing illegal miners with firearms.

The corps, however, exonerated the Mining Marshals commander, ACC John Onoja, whose team was allegedly linked to the diversion of N2 billion and cover-up of circumstances leading to the death of one personnel, Levi Agada, in Nasarawa State.

NSCDC Commandant-General (CG), Ahmed Audi, who briefed newsmen on the development in Abuja yesterday, said the actions of the two now-dismissed personnel contradicted established guidelines.

Audi, represented by NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, said that their actions constituted grave misconduct, professional negligence and conduct prejudicial to the discipline and operational integrity of the corps.

“Consequently, both personnel have been dismissed from the service and recommended for prosecution in accordance with the law,” he said.

The commandant-general said that the dismissal of the officers was based on the recommendation to prosecute the personnel following the operational incident on February 18, 2026, in Nasarawa State, which led to the death of their location commander, Levi Agada.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Agada’s demise led to several controversial publications by some media organisations about the operations of the Mining Marshal Unit, headed by Onoja.

NAN also reports that Onoja had then dismissed allegations linking his team to the diversion of N2 billion and the cover-up of the circumstances surrounding Agada’s death.

The NSCDC boss, in his briefing, said that comprehensive investigations had cleared Onoja, the lead prosecutor, and other members of the management team of any alleged complicity.

“Allegations suggesting otherwise were found to be false and without factual basis,” he said.

Audi said investigations also established that there was no evidence of premeditated intent against the deceased.

The two former mining marshals were among the 37 personnel recently dismissed from the corps, while 42 others were sanctioned for various offences.