By Kelechi Ogunleye
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 also 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 a personnel Levi Agada in Nasarawa state.
NSCDC Commandant General (CG) Ahmed Audi, while briefing newsmen on the dismissal on Wednesday in Abuja, said that 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 for prosecution of the personnel following the operational incident of Feb. 18, in Nasarawa, which led to the death of their location commander, Levi Agada.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the demise of agada resulted in several controversial publications by some media organisations on 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 cover up of circumstances surrounding Agada’s death.
The NSCDC boss in his briefing said that comprehensive investigations had cleared Onoja, the lead prosecutor and other management team members of alleged complicity.
“Allegations suggesting otherwise were found to be false and without factual basis,” he said.
According to Audi, investigations also established that there was no evidence of premeditated intent against the deceased.
NAN further reports that the two former mining marshals were among the 37 personnel recently dismissed from the corps while 42 others were sanctioned for various offences. (NAN)
Edited by Deborah Coker