By David Oluwatosin
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, following the deaths of suspected illegal miners in custody.
The minister also directed a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, which reportedly occurred at the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, the Niger State capital, in the early hours of Thursday.
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde.
According to the statement, the suspected illegal miners were arrested during enforcement operations carried out in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Tunji-Ojo described the incident as unfortunate and said the suspension of the commandant would remain in place while investigations are conducted.
“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” the minister said.
He stressed that the protection of lives remained a priority of the Federal Government and urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding during the investigation.
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The minister also commiserated with Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, as well as the families and relatives of those who died.
The development followed an earlier decision by the NSCDC to constitute an investigative team to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, said the team was led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation.
The team was mandated to investigate the condition of the suspects when they were arrested, their period in custody, detention conditions, medical attention provided and other circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Reports had put the number of suspected illegal miners who died in custody at no fewer than 33, although the NSCDC did not provide an official figure.
The Corps also cautioned against speculation over the cause of the deaths, stressing that claims linking the deaths to any particular disease remained subject to medical and laboratory confirmation.
The latest directive by the Interior Minister means the circumstances surrounding the deaths will now be subject to both the NSCDC’s internal inquiry and the broader investigation ordered by the ministry.
