The federal government has ordered the immediate suspension of Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger state, following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in custody.
The government also ordered a full investigation into the
circumstances surrounding the deaths, which occurred in the M.I.
Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna.
The suspects were arrested during enforcement operations
conducted by the NSCDC in parts of Niger state on September 15 and 16, 2026.
In a statement issued on Friday by Alao Babatunde, special
adviser on media and publicity to Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, the
government said the commandant on whose watch the incident occurred would
remain suspended pending the outcome of investigation.
“It is an unfortunate incident; however, a full
investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this
happened remains suspended,” the minister said.
“We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of
lives and we have worked to stay true to this.”
Tunji-Ojo urged the public to remain calm and law-abiding to
allow for a transparent investigation.
He also commiserated with Umaru Bago, governor of Niger
state, and the families and relatives of the deceased.
NSCDC SAYS SUSPECTED DISEASE OUTBREAK CAUSED DEATHS
Aniviye had earlier said “scores” of detained suspects were
found dead in the early hours of September 17 following what he described as a
suspected outbreak of disease.
He said the Niger command conducted a “burst operation” on
September 15 and 16 as part of efforts to rid the state of illegal mining
activities.
According to him, the operation led to the arrest of
suspected illegal miners and the recovery of various exhibits.
“However, in the early hours of 17th September, 2026, scores
of the detained suspects were found dead, following a suspected outbreak of
disease,” he said.
Aniviye said the corpses had been deposited at the General
Hospital, Minna, for further medical examination to establish the actual cause
of death.
He added that the corps was working in synergy with sister
security agencies and appealed to the public and families of the deceased to
remain calm.
NSCDC CONSTITUTES PANEL TO INVESTIGATE DEATHS
Ahmed Abubakar, commandant-general of the NSCDC, directed
the constitution of a “high-powered” investigative team to establish the
circumstances surrounding the incident.
Babawale Afolabi, NSCDC national public relations officer,
said the team would be led by the deputy commandant-general in charge of
intelligence and investigation.
He said the team would investigate the condition of the
suspects when they were arrested, their period in custody, detention
conditions, medical attention provided and other relevant circumstances.
“The team has been mandated to undertake a comprehensive
investigation into the circumstances leading to the deaths, including the
condition of the suspects upon arrest, their period in custody, the conditions
of detention, medical attention provided, and other relevant circumstances
surrounding the incident,” Afolabi said.l
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com