The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has accused the Nigeria Police Force of colluding with illegal miners and obstructing justice in Nasarawa State.
This allegation was made in a petition submitted to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, where the NSCDC claimed that police operatives not only shielded suspects but also violently attacked civil defence personnel in an effort to frustrate ongoing prosecutions.
According to the petition filed by Commander of the NSCDC Mining Marshals, John Attah, the conflict began following 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, who were operating without valid licences, allegedly confessed to engaging in illegal mining since 2021, with their confessions documented on video in the presence of legal representatives.
In the wake of these arrests, the NSCDC filed two criminal cases, FHC/ABJ/CR/577/2024 and FHC/ABJ/CR/131/2025, at the Federal High Court in Abuja and deployed officers to secure the mining site.
However, the situation worsened after military personnel withdrew from the location on March 26, 2025, as police operatives reportedly moved in, seized control, and began interfering with NSCDC activities.
Tensions escalated further on April 3, 2025, when NSCDC officers returned to the site and were allegedly ambushed and fired upon by police personnel.
During the 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 asserted, explaining that the police are actively trying to sabotage the prosecution and shield those responsible for illegal mining.
Attah also referenced a similar incident on February 12, 2025, in Lege, Ondo State, where police officers reportedly opened fire on NSCDC personnel during an anti-illegal mining operation, suggesting a pattern of hostility.
The confrontations continued on April 8, 2025, when CSP Abdulmajeed of the Force Intelligence Department allegedly led around 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 corps commander, these officers were pressured to falsely implicate him but refused to do so.
Further complicating matters, the police reportedly obtained a court order barring the NSCDC from accessing the mining site, effectively halting prosecution efforts and risking the loss of critical evidence.
Describing the police actions as “a calculated effort to protect illegal miners and derail justice,” Attah urged the Senate to intervene by investigating the police’s conduct and defending the integrity of the anti-illegal mining campaign.
Currently, the Senate Committee is reviewing the petition, while observers await the government’s response to the escalating tensions between the NSCDC and the Nasarawa State Police Force.
