By Pius Awunah
The owner of Mundasa Global Limited,Alhaji Mohammed Dahiru Salihu,earlier alleged to be on the run by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) over allegations of impersonation and illegal mining has denied the claims.
Reacting to statements credited to the Commander of the NSCDC Mining Marshals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) John Onoja Attah,that he was at large following the arrest of some individuals allegedly linked to his company,Salihu said that he was never invited for questioning and that he remains a licensed miner operating legally with approvals obtained from relevant Nigerian authorities.
Speaking with reporters in Kuje, Abuja, Salihu rejected the allegations and described them as misleading, stressing that the NSCDC had not contacted him at any point before making the claims public
“Nobody called me. Nobody invited me or sent any letter to me. I am not on the run. I am available. I am here, “he said.
The purported wanted miner questioned how he could be declared wanted or described as evading arrest when he has continued his legitimate business activities openly and without interruption
The controversy followed the arrest of five men by the NSCDC Mining Marshals on December 27, 2025, at Kebi Mangoro in Kuje Area Council of the FCT.
The suspects, Muhammed Aliyu, 39; Abdulrahman Hashimu, 32; Tahir Muhammed, 43; Awaje Abduljalal, 19; and Kabiru Adamu, 38, were described by the NSCDC as workers linked to Mundasa Global Limited.
The arrested individuals were accused of involvement in illegal mining activities and impersonation, including allegedly operating multiple illegal mining sites across Abuja and neighbouring Nasarawa State.
The NSCDC also alleged that the suspects used a Toyota Hilux vehicle branded with NSCDC colours and insignia to evade security checkpoints and intimidate stakeholders.
Salihu, however, denied all allegations against him and his company, insisting that Mundasa Global Limited is a known mining firm operating within the law.
“I am a miner. My documents are intact. They are duly obtained from the appropriate authorities in Nigeria,” he said.
He maintained that his company has never engaged in illegal mining and that any suggestion to the contrary was false and damaging to his reputation.
Addressing the impersonation allegation, Salihu, who spoke through his lawyer, Douglas Najime, provided details of the incident involving the NSCDC-branded vehicle.
Najime said the Toyota Hilux vehicle at the centre of the controversy was legitimately donated by Mundasa Global Limited to the NSCDC, Nasarawa State Command, and was officially branded for that purpose.
“What happened was that Mundasa Global Company donated a vehicle to the Civil Defence. The vehicle is branded NSCDC because it belongs to the Civil Defence, “Najime said.
According to the lawyer, the incident occurred when one of Mundasa’s managers drove the vehicle without accompanying NSCDC officers to supply diesel to an excavator that had been leased to a third party.
“The vehicle was driven by one of their managers in the absence of the Civil Defence officers attached to it, and that was when it was intercepted and impounded by officers under the Office of the Mining Marshals,” he explained.
Najime said he personally engaged with ACC Attah on several occasions during the investigation and that at no time was Salihu requested to appear before the Mining Marshals.
“I interfaced personally with the commander more than three or four times.
“He never, ever requested for the presence of Alhaji Mohammed Salihu, the Managing Director of Mundasa Global Company Limited,” the lawyer said.
He added that the Mining Marshals interviewed the arrested staff members, the manager involved in the incident, as well as the NSCDC officers attached to the vehicle, but that they never requested the presence or attention of Alhaji Salihu.
The lawyer described reports suggesting that his client was on the run as “strange and surprising,” insisting that Salihu has remained accessible throughout the period.
He stated that Salihu was physically present at one of his mining sites on Saturday, underscoring his claim that the businessman has not gone into hiding.
On the issue of impersonation, Najime said the situation was misunderstood and blown out of proportion.
He explained that while some NSCDC officers on another mission spotted the branded vehicle and questioned the driver, the manager fully cooperated by identifying himself and providing the phone numbers of the Civil Defence officers attached to the vehicle.
“They spoke with the officers, but they still insisted on taking the manager and other staff members to the Mining Marshals’ office,” Najime said.
Responding to allegations of illegal mining in Abuja and Nasarawa State, the lawyer flatly denied the claims, describing them as “a lie from the pit of hell.”
He maintained that Mundasa Global Limited operates strictly within the confines of Nigerian mining laws and regulations.
