By Awwal Umar Kontagora An officer in charge of a detention facility of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in ...
By Awwal Umar Kontagora
An officer in charge of a detention facility of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, Assistant Superintendent of Corps (ASC) Usman Isah Ndamaka, has broken down in tears before the Justice Mohammed Mohammed Judicial Commission of Inquiry in Minna, apologising over the deaths of 37 miners in the corps’ custody.
Ndamaka told the commission that inadequate personnel and fear of being overpowered by the detainees prevented him from opening their cell, despite hearing them scream and shout amid overcrowding and excessive heat.
The officer admitted responsibility for the incident, describing the deaths as unfortunate. He apologised to the bereaved families and the Niger State Government for what he described as a grave mistake that occurred under his watch.
“An error has already been committed. I am very sorry for the death of the miners under my custody. It is unfortunate that this happened under my watch. I am pained, and I admit my mistake,” he told the commission during an emotional testimony.
His appearance formed part of the ongoing investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in NSCDC custody on September 17, 2026.
Ndamaka explained that 58 suspects, comprising 33 males and 25 females, were brought to the command, while the detention facility had a capacity of only 28 to 30 inmates.
He said the female suspects were separated and taken to another facility, but accommodating the large number of detainees remained a major challenge.
According to him, the suspects arrived late in the evening amid heavy rainfall. An attempt to transfer some of them to the old command facility, however, failed after the Mining Marshal rejected the arrangement.
Ndamaka maintained that he feared the detainees could overpower him and the few personnel available if the cell door was opened.
Meanwhile, the head of the NSCDC Investigation Unit, Chief Superintendent of Corps Sunday Oluwadere, told the commission that he had profiled and investigated the suspects following their arrest, during which some exhibits were recovered.
Responding to questions from the Niger State head of the Legal Aid Council, Mrs Bolanle Jibogun, Oluwadere also expressed regret over his shortcomings.
Earlier, the Chief Consultant Pathologist at General Hospital, Minna, Dr Alfa Sule, told the commission that he had informed security personnel of the need to conduct post-mortem examinations on the deceased to establish the causes of death.
Sule explained that the examinations required the approval of a coroner, while the consent of the deceased persons’ families was necessary before samples could be collected for toxicology and histology tests at a forensic laboratory in Lagos.
He said the results of the post-mortem examinations were expected after the laboratory completed its analyses, which were projected to take two weeks.
The commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths, with NSCDC personnel arrested on the orders of the Commandant-General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, appearing before the panel.
Twenty-two personnel, including the suspended Niger State Commandant, Siaka Zubeiru Anirive, were reportedly ordered to be arrested and taken to the corps’ national headquarters in Abuja in connection with the incident.
Eight personnel had testified before the commission since proceedings began.
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