Assistant Commandant of Corps John Onoja Attah, head of the [Mining Marshals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria_Security_and_Civil_Defence_Corps), rejected claims that his specialised unit took part in the September 16 operation at the M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate in Minna, Niger State, insisting the suspended state commandant acted without legal authority.
**When and why the denial was issued**
- The statement was released from the NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja on October 16, 2026.
- Attah described the allegation, attributed to the suspended Niger State Commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, as false and misleading.
- He warned that linking the Mining Marshals to the custodial deaths under investigation could distract from the ongoing Justice Mohammed Mohammed Commission of Inquiry.
**What did the commander clarify about command structure?**
Attah emphasized that no Mining Marshals operative is attached to any state command, including the Niger State Command. The unit operates solely under the direct control of the Commandant‑General at the National Headquarters, in partnership with the [Ministry of Solid Minerals Development](https://solidminerals.gov.ng).
**Why the state commandant could not deploy the unit**
He asserted that a state commandant lacks the jurisdiction to order Mining Marshals for any operation. "Our operational records confirm that at no time were Mining Marshals personnel deployed or involved in the said operation," Attah said.
**How the unit’s conduct is portrayed**
The commander defended the Mining Marshals’ enforcement record under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, describing it as professional, civil, and fully compliant with the law. He noted that the unit has no history of human‑rights violations and faces no pending fundamental human‑rights enforcement suit in any Nigerian court.
**What the future focus remains**
Attah concluded that the Mining Marshals will continue to sanitise Nigeria’s solid minerals sector and will not be sidetracked by erroneous publications.