A Federal Government panel investigating the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State has recommended the dismissal and prosecution of senior officers implicated in the incident.
The recommendation followed an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detainees, who were arrested during enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining activities.
President Bola Tinubu had ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident, insisting that the suspension of officers implicated in the deaths must not replace criminal prosecution where evidence of wrongdoing is established.
“The suspension of officers is only an administrative step and must not substitute for a proper determination of criminal responsibility where the evidence warrants prosecution,” Tinubu said.
Niger miners: Tinubu orders arrest, prosecution of culpable officials
He added that the government must enforce the law without violating it, stressing that the sanctity of human life was non-negotiable.
The Federal Government had earlier suspended Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and 20 other officers pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated a 10-member independent committee chaired by Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, to investigate the deaths and recommend appropriate action.
The panel was tasked with identifying the deceased, examining the circumstances of their arrest and detention, determining the cause of death and establishing whether negligence or misconduct by NSCDC personnel contributed to the incident.
Its investigation also covered the conditions at the detention facility, the number of detainees held there and the medical attention provided before the deaths.
The NSCDC had acknowledged that the suspected miners died in its custody but said the cause of death had not been established.
Reports had suggested that overcrowding and poor ventilation might have contributed to the deaths. A survivor reportedly said about 65 people were held in the cell.
The corps initially suggested that a diphtheria outbreak might have caused the deaths, while noting that medical and laboratory examinations were necessary to establish the cause.
The committee had earlier requested a two-week extension to complete its assignment, citing delays in obtaining forensic and pathology reports and the volume of evidence requiring examination.
Kure said the panel visited the detention facility in Minna, inspected the mining site and NSCDC state headquarters, conducted autopsies and obtained statements from survivors, bereaved families, corps personnel and other witnesses.
He added that the committee needed to give suspended officers and other persons implicated in the allegations an opportunity to respond before concluding its work.
Tinubu had directed the Ministry of Interior and the NSCDC leadership to cooperate fully with the investigation and ensure that no one interfered with efforts to establish the facts surrounding the deaths.
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