The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is currently parading its suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Suberu Aniviye, and other officers linked to the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the Corps’ custody.
The officers are being paraded at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Sauka, Abuja, on Sunday, as the Corps’ National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, briefs journalists on preliminary findings into the incident.
The 37 detainees died on Thursday after they were arrested during anti-illegal mining operations conducted by the NSCDC in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
The Corps initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, saying medical examinations would be conducted to determine the actual cause.
However, questions have continued to surround the circumstances of the deaths, with survivors and relatives alleging overcrowding and poor conditions at the detention facility.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, had disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were detained at an NSCDC facility before 37 of them died.
The governor said the exact cause of death had not been established but noted that possible suffocation resulting from overcrowding and exposure to hazardous substances were among the issues being considered.
Following the incident, the Federal Government suspended the Niger State Commandant and 20 other NSCDC officers pending the outcome of an independent investigation.
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The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, also constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths.
The committee is expected to examine the identities of the deceased, the circumstances surrounding their arrests and detention, the conditions under which they were held and the cause of their deaths.
The committee has been given two weeks to complete its assignment.
The investigation followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered inquiry into the incident.
The NSCDC had also constituted its own high-powered investigative team to examine the condition of the detainees when they were arrested, their period in custody, detention conditions and the medical attention provided to them.
Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation, particularly following reports that some of those detained were minors.
The incident has also sparked protests in Minna, with authorities imposing a curfew following clashes between protesters and security personnel.
The ongoing briefing by the NSCDC and the independent investigation are expected to provide further information on the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine whether any officers or other individuals should be held responsible.