Precious Nwonu, Enugu
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has detained 24 of its personnel over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in its custody in Niger State.
Among those paraded at the NSCDC headquarters in Abuja on Sunday was the suspended Niger State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, alongside 23 other officers and personnel linked to the incident.
The Corps said three additional personnel had been identified and suspended, increasing the number of personnel held in connection with the incident from the initial 21 to 24.
NSCDC spokesman, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, said the affected personnel had been moved to the Corps’ national headquarters in Abuja since September 17, where they were being interrogated and subjected to administrative disciplinary procedures.
He said the personnel would also be made available to the 10-member Presidential Independent Investigation Committee and other investigative panels for further questioning and possible prosecution.
The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, said the Corps would ensure due process, transparency and accountability throughout the investigation.
Audi said personnel found culpable would face internal disciplinary measures and prosecution in accordance with the law.
“As a Corps built on integrity, professionalism, discipline, and absolute respect for the rule of law, we do not condone unprofessional conduct, high-handedness, or any action that undermines the fundamental rights of citizens or the sacred trust reposed in us,” the NSCDC said.
The Corps also ordered its flag to be flown at half-mast across its commands and formations for three days from Sunday, September 20, in mourning for the deceased.
The deaths occurred after scores of suspected illegal miners were arrested during anti-illegal mining operations at the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
The NSCDC initially said some of the detainees died in the early hours of September 17 following a suspected disease outbreak, stressing that the actual cause of death would be established through medical examination.
The incident has since triggered multiple investigations. The Federal Government constituted a 10-member independent committee to establish the identities of the deceased, examine the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention, and determine the cause and circumstances of their deaths.
The Niger State Government has also established a panel of inquiry and ordered autopsies, while the police are conducting a separate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has additionally deployed mining and technical experts to assist in determining whether activities at the mining sites or other factors contributed to the deaths.
The National Human Rights Commission has called for an independent forensic autopsy and preservation of evidence, urging that the investigation meet international standards for investigating potentially unlawful deaths in custody.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had earlier suspended Aniviye and 20 other NSCDC officers pending the outcome of the independent investigation. The suspended personnel included officers responsible for guard duties, arrests, investigation, intelligence, legal services, day and night duties and custody.
Following Aniviye’s suspension, Abdulhamid Kabara was deployed as the new NSCDC commandant in Niger State.
The NSCDC said it would continue to provide updates on the outcome of its investigation, while pledging to uphold human rights, professional ethics and accountability.
The cause of the deaths has not been conclusively established, and the various investigations are ongoing.