*FG Orders Full Probe As Police, Civil Defence Investigate Deaths; Cause Remains Uncertain By Ammar M. Rajab The Federal Government has...
*FG Orders Full Probe As Police, Civil Defence Investigate Deaths; Cause Remains Uncertain
By Ammar M. Rajab
The Federal Government has ordered a full investigation into the deaths of dozens of suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, with the Niger State Commandant of the Corps, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, suspended pending the outcome of the probe.
The development has raised serious questions over the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detainees, who were arrested during enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining activities around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
While early reports put the death toll at no fewer than 33, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and Amnesty International Nigeria subsequently referred to the figure as 37. The NSCDC, however, has not officially released a definitive casualty figure, describing the victims in its initial statement only as “scores” of detained suspects.
The deaths were discovered in the early hours of September 17, shortly after the suspects had been taken into custody following the enforcement operation.
The incident has since triggered multiple investigations and growing demands for accountability.
HOW THE TRAGEDY
UNFOLDED
The NSCDC Niger State Command had launched what it described as a “burst operation” on September 15 and 16 as part of renewed efforts to combat illegal mining and protect the state’s mineral resources. The operation resulted in the arrest of scores of suspected illegal miners and the recovery of various exhibits. But in the early hours of September 17, a number of the detainees were found dead inside the custody facility in Minna.
The Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, initially said the deaths followed what was suspected to be an outbreak of disease.
The remains were subsequently deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination aimed at establishing the actual cause of death.
The NSCDC national headquarters later cautioned against attributing the deaths to any particular disease, saying no medical evidence had established such a conclusion.
According to the Corps, the cause of death remained subject to medical and laboratory confirmation.
SURVIVOR ALLEGES OVERCROWDING
A survivor,
identified as Abdullahi in the initial account, alleged that 65 people were
arrested during the operation and that six others were hospitalised.
He claimed that the detainees were kept in an overcrowded and poorly ventilated facility, making breathing difficult.
Another
survivor, identified in subsequent reports as Dauda Shehu, similarly described
the detention conditions as overcrowded and inadequately ventilated, alleging
that detainees struggled for fresh air before some collapsed.
The allegations have not been established by an independent investigation, and authorities have yet to determine whether the detention conditions contributed to the deaths.
That question is now central to the investigations ordered by the authorities.
NSCDC OPENS HIGH-POWERED INVESTIGATION
Following the deaths, the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, directed the immediate constitution of a high-powered investigative team led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation.
The team was tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including:
- The condition of the suspects at the time of arrest;
- The period
they spent in custody;
- The
conditions under which they were detained;
- The medical
attention provided to them; and
- Other
circumstances relevant to the incident.
The Corps said the remains had been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination and that it was working with health authorities and sister security agencies.
It also directed that the health and welfare of all persons currently in NSCDC custody be given utmost priority.
The Corps said it would refrain from speculation until medical examinations establish the cause of death.
POLICE TAKE OVER INVESTIGATION
The Niger State Police Command has also commenced an investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, ordered the immediate commencement of an investigation and directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Minna, to take charge.
The police said the investigation was intended to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The Command has also appealed to relatives, family members and members of the public with credible information to approach the SCID and assist investigators.
The Commissioner assured the public that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
FG SUSPENDS NSCDC COMMANDANT
In the latest major development, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Aniviye.
The minister also ordered a full investigation into the incident.
“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” Tunji-Ojo said in a statement issued through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde.
The minister urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding while the investigation proceeds.
The suspension came after the NSCDC had already constituted its own investigative team.
AMNESTY CALLS
FOR INDEPENDENT PROBE
Amnesty International Nigeria has called for an independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the deaths.
In its reaction, the organisation referred to the victims as 37 youths, including minors, and called for the circumstances of their arrests and detention to be established.
It further urged the authorities to ensure that victims and their families have access to justice and effective remedies.
Amnesty said those found responsible should face appropriate legal consequences.
SHEHU SANI DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY
Former Senator Shehu Sani also condemned the reported deaths and called for those found responsible to face prosecution.
Sani described the incident as a serious tragedy and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
His comments came amid mounting public concern over the circumstances in which the detainees died.
THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
At the centre of the controversy are questions that the ongoing investigations are expected to answer.
What exactly caused the deaths?
How many detainees actually died?
What were the conditions inside the detention facility?
Were all the detainees medically examined when they were arrested?
What medical attention was provided after signs of distress emerged?
Were there sufficient ventilation, space and emergency response measures at the facility?
And perhaps most importantly, could the deaths have been prevented?
At present, no final official finding has established the cause of death.
The NSCDC has specifically cautioned against linking the deaths to a particular disease before medical and laboratory examinations are completed.
MINING
CRACKDOWN NOW UNDER SCRUTINY
The tragedy has also placed renewed attention on enforcement operations against illegal mining in Niger State.
The NSCDC has maintained that its operation was part of its statutory responsibility to combat illegal mining and protect critical national assets.
The Corps has also pointed to the dangers faced by its personnel during previous enforcement operations in the state, including the reported killing of a Civil Defence officer in Kurokpa and attacks on operational vehicles.
However, the legality of the mining operation itself and the security risks faced by officers are separate from the obligation of authorities to account for the treatment and welfare of persons held in custody.
FROM MINING ENFORCEMENT
TO NATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY
The incident has therefore evolved from an enforcement operation into a wider national accountability issue.
Within days of the arrests, dozens of detainees were reported dead; the cause remains unresolved; the police and NSCDC have opened investigations; the Federal Government has suspended the state commandant and ordered a full probe; and rights advocates are demanding an independent investigation.
For the families searching for answers, the most immediate concern is no longer simply how the arrests occurred, but what happened inside the detention facility between the time the suspects were taken into custody and the discovery of the bodies.
Until the medical examinations and investigations are completed, the precise cause of the deaths remains undetermined.
What is now clear is that the incident has become the subject of multiple official investigations, with the Federal Government under pressure to establish the facts and determine responsibility where wrongdoing is found.
No comments