Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, following the deaths of suspected illegal miners after their arrest in the state.
Tunji-Ojo also directed that a full investigation be carried out to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, which was reported to have occurred around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna in the early hours of Thursday.
The directive was announced in a statement issued on Friday by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde.
According to the statement, the deceased were among suspected illegal miners arrested during enforcement operations conducted in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Tunji-Ojo described the deaths as unfortunate, saying the Commandant would remain suspended while the authorities investigate the matter.
“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended.
“We run a Government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this,” the Minister declared.
He appealed to members of the public to remain calm and comply with the law while the investigation is conducted, assuring that the process would be transparent.
The Minister also expressed condolences to Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and the families and relatives of those who died.
Reports indicated that at least 33 suspected illegal miners died while in NSCDC custody, although the Corps has not officially stated the number of casualties.
Before the Minister’s intervention, the NSCDC had set up an investigative team to examine the events leading to the deaths.
NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, said in a statement on Thursday that the team was headed by the Deputy Commandant-General responsible for Intelligence and Investigation.
The panel was tasked with examining several aspects of the incident, including the condition of the suspects when they were arrested, how long they remained in custody, the circumstances of their detention and the medical care available to them.
It is also expected to investigate other factors that may have contributed to the deaths.
The NSCDC, meanwhile, urged the public to avoid drawing conclusions about what caused the deaths before the investigation is completed.
The Corps said claims linking the deaths to any particular disease could not be confirmed until the necessary medical and laboratory examinations had been concluded.