The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the immediate suspension of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ Niger State Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, following the deaths of suspected illegal miners in the state, and has directed a full investigation into the incident.
The deaths reportedly occurred at the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, the state capital, 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 had been arrested during enforcement operations carried out in parts of Niger State on 15 and 16 September 2026.
The minister described the incident as unfortunate but said the commandant would remain suspended pending the outcome of a full investigation, stressing that his government’s “ultimate priority is security of lives.” He called on members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding to allow for a transparent inquiry, and commiserated with the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, as well as the families and relatives of the deceased.
Reports had put the death toll among the suspected illegal miners in custody at no fewer than thirty-three, although the NSCDC did not confirm a specific figure. The deaths had earlier prompted the corps to set up an investigative team to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the NSCDC’s National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, said the team, headed by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation, had been mandated to carry out a comprehensive inquiry covering the condition of the suspects at the point of arrest, the length of time they spent in custody, the conditions under which they were detained, the medical attention made available to them, and other circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The corps also cautioned against speculation over the cause of the deaths, noting that any reports attributing them to a specific disease remained subject to medical and laboratory confirmation.