NSCDC Mining Marshals Boss Accused of Bias in Agada Probe

NCSCN has called for an independent probe into DSC Agada Levi Agada’s death amid allegations of bias, cover-up and security rivalry.

Atlantic Post

July 18, 2026

2–3 minutes

The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has accused the Commander of the NSCDC Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, of driving what it described as a selective and biased investigation into the death of Deputy Superintendent of Corps (DSC) Agada Levi Agada, and called for an independent review of the entire case. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Saturday,

NCSCN Executive Director, Ambassador Blessing Akinlosotu, said the central issue remained the circumstances surrounding Agada’s death, not the wider allegations now linked to Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Abdulmajeed Abisoye Oyewumi.

The council’s intervention comes against the background of a bitter dispute that has already drawn in the police, the Mining Marshals and civil society voices.

In June, Onoja publicly rejected a police report that linked one of his officers to more than ₦2 billion in alleged suspicious transactions after Agada’s death, accused a Force Intelligence Department team led by CSP Oyewumi of repeatedly disrupting Mining Marshals operations in Nasarawa State, and said he had written to the Inspector-General of Police seeking to have the death probe transferred to the Department of State Services for what he described as an impartial review.

In the latest allegations, the NCSCN said information available to it suggested that Agada died during an operation at a mining site, and that an autopsy allegedly showed gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen.

It also said claims had been made that ammunition allegedly used in the shooting might have been traced to the NSCDC armoury, although the council stressed that it could not independently verify that allegation.

Akinlosotu said the matter required “a comprehensive and independent investigation” capable of restoring public confidence.

The council also raised questions about the search carried out at Oyewumi’s residence, alleging that officers were looking for the case file and other material connected to the investigation, broke parts of the house during the operation and seized a mobile phone said to contain conversations and confessional material.

It urged investigators to determine whether constitutional and statutory procedures were followed and whether any electronic evidence was lawfully handled.

NCSCN further challenged the basis of the accusation that Oyewumi aided illegal miners, saying the Chinese nationals at the centre of the dispute may have possessed valid mining licences issued by the appropriate authorities and insisting that documentary records, not allegations, should determine the legal status of the operation.

The debate comes only weeks after the NSCDC arraigned 15 Chinese nationals and nine Nigerians in Abuja over alleged illegal lithium mining in Nasarawa State, following arrests made on May 16, 2026.

The civil society group demanded answers on the progress of the investigation into Agada’s death, including whether suspects had been identified, arrests made, and forensic work completed and forwarded to prosecutors.

It also asked for clarification on the evidence behind the allegations against Oyewumi and called for all security agencies to avoid institutional rivalry that could weaken public trust in the justice system. At the time of the latest report, the Nigeria Police Force had not publicly responded to the allegations.