Niger Orders Probe Into Deaths Of 37 Detainees In NSCDC Custody, Commandant Suspended

The Niger State Government has constituted a committee of inquiry to investigate the deaths of 37 illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command.

The committee, chaired by the Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, with the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Maurice Magaji, as Secretary, is expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and establish their exact causes.

Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago disclosed this during a press conference, saying the Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force and the NSCDC had also constituted separate committees to investigate the incident.

According to the governor, forensic examinations and autopsies would be conducted on the deceased to establish the precise cause of death and guide further action by the government.

Bago also disclosed that the NSCDC Commandant-General had suspended the Niger State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and his team to allow for an unhindered investigation into the incident.

The governor described the deaths as unfortunate and tragic, and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

He assured them that his administration would pursue the investigation to a logical conclusion.
He said the state government was compiling a register of the affected families and would engage with them while the investigation continued.

Bago said his administration valued the lives of residents and would not tolerate injustice, stressing that those found responsible would face appropriate action.

The governor further announced the immediate closure of all illegal mining activities around the M.I. Wushishi mining site, warning that anyone who violated the directive would be prosecuted.

He added that experts from Abuja would be invited to conduct a technical analysis of the mining site as part of efforts to establish what may have contributed to the incident.
Bago appealed to residents, particularly youths, to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands, urging them to allow the relevant authorities to complete their investigations.