37 Miners’ D**ths: Suspended NSCDC Commandant, 21 Officers Face Detention As Probe Intensifies

The suspended Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and 21 other officers have reportedly been detained in Abuja as investigations continue into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody.                                                                                                                                     According to Bush Radio Academy, the affected personnel were summoned to the NSCDC national headquarters in Abuja following the deaths of the detainees, who had been arrested during enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining activities in Niger State.A senior officer at the NSCDC headquarters reportedly confirmed that the suspended commandant, the arresting officer, the investigating officer and other personnel linked to the incident were in custody after arriving in Abuja.

NSCDC spokesperson Afolabi Babawale also confirmed that the officers were being held as part of the ongoing investigation. He disclosed that those detained included the heads of the corps’ legal, intelligence and mining units, as well as the officer responsible for the detention facility where the miners were kept.

Babawale said the officers were being questioned by the head of the NSCDC intelligence unit as authorities continued efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The deaths occurred after dozens of suspected illegal miners were detained following operations conducted around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16. Authorities confirmed that 37 detainees died while in custody. The exact cause of death remains under investigation, with medical, forensic and autopsy examinations being conducted.

The NSCDC initially linked the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, while survivors have alleged that overcrowding, poor ventilation and a lack of adequate air contributed to the tragedy. Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago has also said authorities were examining possible causes including suffocation and exposure to hazardous substances associated with mining activities.

Meanwhile, a survivor identified as Malam Babawo Tudun Nasera has alleged that the mining site where they were arrested belonged to former military Head of State, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. The claim remains an allegation and has not been established by the ongoing investigation.

Nasera reportedly made the claim while recounting the arrest and death of his 17-year-old brother, Salim, who was among those detained by NSCDC personnel. He said the miners were arrested at the site and remained in custody for about three days before the deaths were discovered.

The Federal Government and Niger State authorities have ordered investigations into the incident, while officials have stressed the need to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine responsibility where wrongdoing is established.