The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has dismissed reports alleging that over N2bn was traced to the bank account of one of its personnel, describing the claim as false and malicious.
The Corps, through its Mining Marshals Commander, Johnson Onoja, said the financial allegation linked to a serving officer was unfounded and intended to mislead the public.
Onoja, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday, was reacting to reports that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force uncovered suspicious transactions running into billions of naira in the account of a Mining Marshals operative.
The police had reportedly linked the discovery to an ongoing investigation into the killing of an NSCDC officer, Agada Levi Agada, who was shot during an operation in Nasarawa State.
Following a petition by the deceased’s family, the Force Intelligence Department commenced a probe into the incident, leading to the arrest of some NSCDC personnel and the alleged tracing of funds to accounts connected to the suspects.
A police source had claimed that more than N2bn was discovered in the account of one of the officers, with transactions allegedly linked to other suspects under investigation.
However, Onoja dismissed the claim, insisting that the account in question recorded less than N800,000 in total transactions over the past year.
According to him, available bank records showed a total credit of N760,129 and a debit of N760,457 within the period under review, with the current balance standing at nearly zero.
He said, “Everything published about the N2bn is completely false. The account details clearly show minimal transactions, contrary to the claims being circulated.”
The commander also refuted allegations that he failed to honour police invitations or withheld critical evidence, including a mobile phone said to be relevant to the homicide investigation.
He maintained that he had cooperated with relevant authorities and had held multiple meetings with the family of the deceased officer prior to the petition.
Onoja further described the report as a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the Corps and its personnel, stressing that the matter was already being handled by appropriate authorities.
The controversy comes amid lingering tension over the circumstances surrounding Agada’s death, with conflicting accounts continuing to emerge from both security agencies involved in the investigation.
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