The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has paraded its suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Suberu Aniviye, alongside 23 other personnel over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the Corps’ custody in Niger State.
The officers were paraded on Sunday at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Sauka, Abuja, as the Corps briefed journalists on its preliminary findings into the incident. The development comes as an independent investigation ordered by the Federal Government continues.
The 37 detainees died on September 17, days after they were arrested during NSCDC operations against suspected illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation. The NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, while stating that medical examinations would be conducted to establish the actual cause.
However, the incident generated widespread concern after Niger State Governor Umaru Bago disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners had been detained before 37 of them died.
The Federal Government subsequently suspended Aniviye and 20 other officers and constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the identities of the deceased, their arrest and detention, as well as the cause and circumstances of their deaths.
The committee, constituted by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, was also mandated to determine whether there was responsibility, complicity, negligence or misconduct in connection with the incident and recommend appropriate action, including compensation where applicable.
Speaking during Sunday’s briefing, NSCDC spokesman, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, said three additional personnel had been identified and suspended, bringing the total number of officers linked to the incident to 24.
According to the Corps, the personnel have been placed in protective custody at its national headquarters in Abuja since September 17 and are undergoing interrogation and administrative disciplinary proceedings. They are expected to be made available to the presidential independent investigation committee and other panels for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The NSCDC Commandant-General, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, said the Corps would ensure due process, transparency and accountability throughout the investigation.
He said any personnel found culpable would face appropriate internal disciplinary measures and the full weight of the law.
As a further response to the incident, the NSCDC ordered its flag to be flown at half-mast across all its formations for three days beginning Sunday, September 20, as a mark of mourning.
The Corps said the measure was also intended to demonstrate its disapproval of any conduct that undermines citizens’ rights and the responsibilities entrusted to its personnel.
The deaths have attracted calls from civil society organisations and other stakeholders for an independent and transparent investigation. Amnesty International has also called for a probe, particularly amid reports that some of those detained were minors.
Meanwhile, the incident has intensified scrutiny of illegal mining activities in Niger State and the conditions under which suspected offenders are detained.
Governor Bago has called for stronger federal intervention, including possible restrictions on mining activities in areas identified as problematic. He said illegal mining had become a major challenge in the state and expressed concern about children being drawn into the activity.
The independent committee has two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report to the Minister of Interior.
Until the investigation is concluded, the precise cause of the 37 deaths and the extent of individual responsibility remain unresolved. The findings of the committee are expected to determine whether negligence, misconduct or other factors contributed to the deaths and whether further legal or disciplinary action should follow.
