WorldStage— The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has publicly paraded its suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Suberu Aniviye, alongside 23 other officers at the Corps’ National Headquarters in Sauka, Abuja, in connection with the tragic deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners held in detention.
During the parade, the Corps’ National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, presented preliminary findings regarding the incident, detailing how the 24 total personnel were moved to Abuja for rigorous administrative interrogation.
The detained officers are being made available to a 10-member independent investigative committee constituted by the Federal Government.
The controversy began following anti-illegal mining operations conducted by the NSCDC in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
Days later, in the early hours of September 17, 37 of the detained suspects were pronounced dead. While Commandant Aniviye initially attributed the fatalities to a sudden disease outbreak within an overcrowded facility, survivors, relatives, and human rights advocates raised serious concerns over detention conditions, prompting immediate state and federal intervention.
The deaths triggered sharp local protests and civil unrest in Minna, forcing Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to implement a temporary 24-hour curfew to restore public order.
In response to the escalating tension, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo ordered a full-scale, transparent inquiry into the systemic failures, potential official negligence, and exact medical causes behind the mass casualty event, overriding early speculative reports.
As the 10-member panel commences its two-week investigative window, the NSCDC has directed flags to fly at half-mast across all formations nationwide for three days as a mark of solemn respect for the deceased.
Authorities reiterated that any personnel found culpable of professional misconduct, human rights violations, or criminal negligence upon the conclusion of the independent probe will face immediate prosecution.
