The Federal Government has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Suberu Aniviye, following the death of suspected illegal miners in the state.
The suspension was ordered by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who also directed a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, the Niger State capital.
The suspected illegal miners were said to have been arrested during enforcement operations conducted in parts of the state on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Tunji-Ojo described the incident as unfortunate and ordered that the commandant under whose watch the deaths occurred remain suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
The minister said the government’s priority was the protection of lives, urging members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding while the investigation lasts.
He also expressed condolences to Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, as well as the families and relatives of the deceased.
Reports had put the number of miners who died in custody at no fewer than 33, although the NSCDC has not officially confirmed the exact figure.
The deaths had earlier prompted the corps to set up an investigative team to unravel what happened to the suspects while in custody.
The team, headed by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation, was mandated to conduct a comprehensive probe into the incident.
The investigation is expected to establish the condition of the suspects when they were arrested, their treatment in custody, the conditions of detention and the medical attention they received.
The NSCDC also warned against speculation over the cause of the deaths, stressing that claims linking the fatalities to any particular disease would require medical and laboratory confirmation.
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