Niger NSCDC Boss, Officers Paraded Over 37 Miners' Custody Deaths

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has publicly presented its suspended Niger State Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, along with other officers implicated in the demise of 37 individuals believed to be illegal miners. These 37 detainees reportedly died last Thursday while in the custody of the Corps.

The unfortunate incident followed their arrest by NSCDC personnel during anti-illegal mining operations conducted on September 15 and 16 in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State. The arrested individuals were subsequently held in a cell located within the NSCDC facility.

On Sunday, the affected officers were paraded at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Sauka, Abuja. During the event, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, the National Public Relations Officer for the Corps, briefed journalists on the initial findings concerning the incident. Earlier, the NSCDC had suggested that a suspected disease outbreak might have been the cause of death, stating that medical examinations would confirm the actual reason.

In response to the tragedy, the Federal Government has since suspended Commandant Suberu Aniviye and an additional 20 NSCDC officers from duty, pending the outcome of an independent investigation. Furthermore, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has established a 10-member independent committee. This committee is tasked with thoroughly investigating the deaths, including verifying the identities of the deceased, scrutinizing the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention, and determining the precise cause and conditions of their deaths. The committee has been given a two-week period to conclude its assignment.