NSCDC Parades Suspended Niger Commandant, Officers Over Deaths Of 37 Detainees

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has paraded its suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Suberu Aniviye, and other officers linked to the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in its custody.

The officers were paraded at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Sauka, Abuja, on Sunday, as the Corps briefed journalists on preliminary findings into the deaths.

The NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, said the investigation was ongoing as authorities worked to establish the circumstances that led to the deaths.

The 37 detainees died on Thursday, days after they were arrested during anti-illegal mining operations conducted by the NSCDC in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.

The Corps had initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, stating that medical examinations would determine the actual cause.

However, allegations of overcrowding and poor detention conditions have raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago had disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were detained in an NSCDC facility before 37 of them died.

The governor said the exact cause of the deaths had yet to be established, while possible suffocation caused by overcrowding and exposure to hazardous substances were among the issues being considered.

Following the incident, the Federal Government suspended Aniviye and 20 other NSCDC officers pending the outcome of an independent investigation.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, also constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths.

The committee is expected to establish the identities of the deceased, circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention, conditions at the facility, as well as the cause and circumstances of their deaths. It has two weeks to submit its report.

The development followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation into the incident.

The NSCDC has also constituted an internal high-powered investigative team to examine the condition of the detainees upon arrest, their period in custody, detention conditions and the medical attention provided to them.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation, particularly because some of those detained were reportedly minors.

The deaths have also triggered protests in Minna, where authorities imposed a curfew following clashes between protesters and security personnel.

The ongoing investigations are expected to determine the immediate and underlying causes of the deaths and establish whether any individuals or institutions bear responsibility.