The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, over the deaths of suspected illegal miners in custody.
Tunji-Ojo also directed a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, which occurred around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto area of Minna, the state capital, in the early hours of Thursday.
The minister’s directive was announced in a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde.
The statement said the deceased suspects were among those arrested during enforcement operations against illegal mining activities across parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended.
“We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this,” the minister declared.
Tunji-Ojo appealed for calm, urging residents and other members of the public to remain law-abiding while the investigation is conducted.
He also expressed his condolences to Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, as well as the families and relatives of those who died.
Reports have claimed that at least 33 suspected illegal miners died while in custody, although the NSCDC has not confirmed a specific number.
Following the incident, the NSCDC had set up an investigative panel to establish what led to the deaths.
The corps’ National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, said in a statement on Thursday that the investigation would be led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation.
According to Afolabi, the panel would examine several aspects of the incident, including the physical condition of the suspects when they were arrested, their treatment while in custody, detention conditions and the medical attention they received.
The inquiry would also consider other circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The NSCDC urged the public to avoid drawing conclusions about the cause of the deaths pending the outcome of medical and laboratory examinations.
The corps specifically warned against reports linking the deaths to a particular disease, stressing that such claims could only be established through appropriate medical and laboratory confirmation.
