The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Siyaka Aniviye.
The suspension follows the alleged de@ths of suspected illegal miners in M.I. Wushishi/ Lukoto axis of Minna the state capital.
The incident, which reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday, followed the arrest of the suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations conducted in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
In the early hours of 17th September, 2026, scores of the detained suspects were found de@d, following a suspected outbreak of a disease. The corpses of the deceased suspects had since been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for further medical examination to establish the actual cause of de@th.
“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended.
We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this,” the Minister declared via a statement released by his media aide, Babatunde Alao
He urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding to allow a transparent investigation process.
He further commiserated with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State and the families and relatives of the deceased.
