The Federal Government has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, following the deaths of suspected illegal miners in the state.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered the immediate suspension of the commandant and directed a full investigation into the incident.
The deaths reportedly occurred at the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, Niger State, in the early hours of Thursday.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, the suspected illegal miners were arrested during enforcement operations conducted in parts of the state on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Tunji-Ojo described the incident as unfortunate and said the investigation would establish what led to the deaths.
The minister said the government’s priority remained the protection of lives and urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding while the investigation was conducted.
He also expressed his condolences to Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and the families of those who died.
Reports indicated that at least 33 suspected illegal miners died while in custody, although the NSCDC has not confirmed a specific number.
Following the deaths, the NSCDC had earlier constituted an investigative team to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The team, led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation, was directed to examine the condition of the suspects when they were arrested, their period in custody, detention conditions, medical attention provided and other factors surrounding the deaths.
The NSCDC also cautioned against speculation regarding the cause of the deaths, stressing that claims linking the deaths to any particular disease remained subject to medical and laboratory confirmation.
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