John Onoja, commander of the mining marshals of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has been honoured for his contributions to the fight against illegal mining across the country.
Gatekeepers News reports that Onoja received the “Nation Builder for Protection Against Illegal Mining’’ award at the third edition of the Nigeria’s Nation Builders Annual Awards held in Abuja. The event was organised by the National Council for Civil Society Organisations (NACCSO) in partnership with the Vision-One Leadership Development Initiative.
Emmanuel Johnny, NACCSO national president, described the honour as “a pat on the back and a push to do more”, noting that Onoja’s work has helped safeguard mineral assets and “reverse Nigeria’s revenue fortune”.
Expressing gratitude for the recognition, Onoja said he places national interest above personal gain. He dedicated the award to Ahmed Audi, commandant-general of the NSCDC, and credited the progress recorded by the mining marshals to the guidance of the corps’ leadership.
He also acknowledged the support of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, and Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals.
Other awardees at the event included former chief of defence staff (CDS) C.G. Musa; National Examinations Council (NECO) registrar Dantani Wushishi; National Directorate of Employment (NDE) director-general Silas Agara; Ifeanyi Henry Uche, head of the Police National Cybercrime Centre; and Aisha Ahmed Audi, president of CDOWA.
The organisers said the awards aim to spotlight individuals contributing to improved governance and national development.
In August, Onoja had warned that illegal mining poses severe threats to Nigeria’s economy, environment, and national security during a media parley organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT council, in Abuja.
