More Heads To Roll In NSCDC As Government Moves To Probe 37 Deaths In Niger

More Heads To Roll In NSCDC

 

OpenLife News reports that the Federal Government has ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, following the mysterious death of 37 suspected illegal miners in custody, with more sanctions expected.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who announced the suspension on Friday, said more heads will roll as the government has ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident which occurred in the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna.

The 37 suspects were arrested during a “burst operation” conducted by the NSCDC on September 15 and 16, 2026, to rid the state of illegal mining activities. But in a bizarre twist, NSCDC said scores of them were found dead in the early hours of September 17.

FG: Commandant Remains Suspended

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, the Minister said Aniviye will remain suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.“It is an unfortunate incident; however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” Tunji-Ojo said.

“We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this.”He appealed to the public to remain calm and law-abiding to allow for a transparent investigation, while commiserating with Governor Umaru Bago and the families of the deceased.

NSCDC Claims Disease Outbreak

Earlier, the suspended Commandant, Aniviye, had claimed the deaths were caused by a suspected disease outbreak in custody.

He said various exhibits were recovered during the operation, but “in the early hours of 17th September, 2026, scores of the detained suspects were found dead, following a suspected outbreak of disease.”

Aniviye said the corpses had been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination to establish the actual cause of death, adding that the corps was working with sister security agencies.

NSCDC Constitutes High-Powered Panel

In a swift response, the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar, has constituted a high-powered investigative team to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

National Public Relations Officer of the Corps, Babawale Afolabi, said the team will be led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation.

“The team has been mandated to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances leading to the deaths, including the condition of the suspects upon arrest, their period in custody, the conditions of detention, medical attention provided, and other relevant circumstances surrounding the incident,” Afolabi said.

Sources within the Interior Ministry told our correspondent that more heads may roll if the panel finds negligence, rights abuse or procedural violations in the handling of the detainees.