37 Miners’ Deaths: NSCDC Detains Commandant, 23 Officers as Probe Widens
The investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State has widened, with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) detaining its suspended Niger State Commandant, Subaru Siyaka Aniviye, alongside 23 other personnel for questioning over the incident.
The development represents a significant escalation of the internal investigation following public outrage over the deaths of the detainees while in NSCDC custody.
The 24 affected personnel were presented at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja as authorities intensified efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
NSCDC spokesman, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, said three additional personnel had been identified and suspended, raising the number of officers under investigation from the previously announced 21 to 24.
According to the Corps, the affected officers were taken into what it described as protective custody at its national headquarters on September 17 and are undergoing interrogation and administrative disciplinary procedures.
They are also expected to be available to the Presidential Independent Investigation Committee and other investigative panels examining the incident.
Among those being investigated are senior officers responsible for intelligence and investigation, operations, legal duties, arrest procedures and guard responsibilities.
The NSCDC said two senior officers were included in the investigation over alleged lack of supervision in their respective departments.
The incident followed enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
Thirty-seven detainees subsequently died while in custody, triggering demands for an independent investigation and accountability.
The precise cause of the deaths has not yet been officially established.
The NSCDC had initially raised the possibility of a disease outbreak, but subsequent accounts and allegations surrounding conditions in the detention facility have intensified scrutiny of what happened. The various claims remain subject to ongoing investigations.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently ordered an investigation into the deaths, while the Federal Government constituted a 10-member independent committee to establish the identities of the deceased and investigate the circumstances surrounding their arrest, detention and deaths.
The committee is also mandated to determine whether there was negligence, misconduct or complicity and recommend appropriate action where necessary.
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has warned against any attempt to conceal or destroy evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation.
The government has stressed that suspension or detention of the officers does not amount to a finding of guilt, saying responsibility will be determined through the investigation.
NSCDC Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, also pledged that due process, transparency and accountability would guide the investigation.
According to the Corps, any officer eventually found culpable will face disciplinary measures and, where applicable, prosecution under the law.
As a mark of mourning, the NSCDC directed its flag to be flown at half-mast across commands and formations for three days beginning Sunday, September 20.
The Corps said the gesture reflected its grief over the deaths and its rejection of conduct that violates professional standards and citizens’ fundamental rights.
The case has attracted wider scrutiny beyond the NSCDC.
Families of some of the deceased have alleged mistreatment while the detainees were in custody, while the Nigerian Bar Association has called for a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into the deaths.
With 24 NSCDC personnel now facing questioning and an independent federal investigation underway, attention is shifting to whether investigators can establish exactly what happened between the arrest of the suspected miners and the deaths of 37 people in government custody.
The independent committee has been given two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its findings to the Minister of Interior.
