The Nigeria Police Force has recovered dead bodies in illegal mining sites in Rafin Gabbas community in Agwada Town in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
Investigations showed that the police team deployed from the Force headquarters has recovered and deposited some dead bodies of those who died in the sites allegedly under the watch of the Chinese firms and mining marshals.
This has triggered the people of the community, who are demanding the immediate removal of the commander of the mining marshal, ACC Attah John Onoja.
Secretary of the mining community, Eshimutu Ode, told journalists on Friday that despite the court’s directive, police investigators have allegedly been denied access to the mining sites.
The residents believed that the refusal to allow police access was a strategy to stall the investigation until the restraining order expires, potentially giving room for the destruction of evidence.
Ode alleged that dead bodies have been uncovered at the sites, noting that they have now been deposited in the mortuary, raising serious questions about the dangers and alleged criminality surrounding operations at the mining locations.
He further alleged that mining activities—allegedly dominated by Chinese-owned firms—have wreaked havoc on farmlands and cost many lives.
Ode noted: “A lot of people are dying in the mining sites, and nothing is being done about it,
“We have NSCDC officers guarding the sites, but that has not stopped the deaths. The mining commander has only caused problems for our community. He should be removed.”
Checks revealed that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, had on May 20, 2025, issued a restraining order in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/901/2025.
The court directed the commander of the mining marshals, ACC Attah Onoja, and his team, as well as companies linked to the mining activities, to halt any mining or interference at the disputed sites for 30 days to allow for proper investigation.
Also, the traditional ruler of Agwada, Abubakar Obagu, said he had issued a letter dated May 15, 2025, to the Director General of the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, disclaiming any consent to the companies currently operating in Rafin Gabbas.
According to him, In the letter, he specifically requested that the office deny any mineral titles to the mining companies except one.
The people of Rafin Gabbas, therefore, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to remove the mining marshals, whom they accuse of complicity in illegal operations and the ongoing suffering in their community.
Responding, Onoja denied any complicity in the Rafin Gabbas community in Agwada Town in the Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
“This is a public and sensitive issue involving a lot of bad activities going on in the mining sites. On the restraining order, we appealed it the day after we received it,” he stressed.