By Tekena Amieyeofori
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Suberu Aniviye, over the death of suspected illegal miners in the state’s custody.
The Minister also ordered a comprehensive probe into the incident which happened in the early hours of Thursday, September 17, 2026, around the Wushishi/Lukoto area of Minna.
The directive was announced on Friday in a statement signed by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde.
The deceased were said to have been apprehended during operations against illegal mining conducted by the NSCDC across parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
Speaking on the development, the Minister said the Commandant will remain suspended until investigations are concluded.
“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.
He added, “We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this.”
Tunji-Ojo appealed to members of the public to stay calm and maintain law and order as investigations continue.
He also condoled with the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago, and the families of the deceased.
While at least 33 suspected illegal miners are reported to have died in detention, the NSCDC is yet to release an official casualty figure.
The incident had prompted parallel investigations by both the NSCDC and the Niger State Police Command.
On Thursday, the NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed that the Corps had set up an investigative panel led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation.
Afolabi explained that the panel is tasked with examining all surrounding issues, including the health status of the suspects at the point of arrest, the duration and condition of their detention, medical care provided, and other factors that may have led to their deaths.
The Corps also warned against unconfirmed speculations about the cause of death, stressing that any claims attributing it to a specific illness would have to be verified through medical and laboratory tests.
In a related development, the Niger State Police Command has also launched its own investigation.
Commissioner of Police, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, mandated the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Minna, to lead the inquiry and unravel what led to the fatalities.
In a statement by the Command’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, the police said the persons held for alleged illegal mining were discovered dead while being detained at the Niger State Command of the NSCDC.
The Command called on relatives and members of the public with useful information to assist the investigation by reporting to the SCID in Minna.
Elleman urged calm, advising families and associates of the deceased to remain peaceful and support the investigative process.
He assured that a thorough investigation would be carried out to ascertain the cause of death.
The Commissioner restated the Command’s dedication to protecting human rights and holding law enforcement agencies accountable in the execution of their duties.