Interior Minister orders 10-member independent panel to investigate deaths in NSCDC custody
The Federal Government has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, and 20 other officers over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who were in the Corps’ custody.
The suspension was announced on Saturday, September 19, 2026, by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
The affected personnel are to remain suspended pending the conclusion of an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Ten-member committee constituted
Tunji-Ojo also approved the establishment of a 10-member independent investigative committee to examine the incident.
The committee is expected to establish the identities of those who died, determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and investigate the conduct of personnel involved in the detention and handling of the suspects.
The development follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation into the deaths.
Officers involved in detention and investigation suspended
The suspended personnel include officers connected with station-guard duties, arrests, investigations, intelligence, legal services, custody and other operational responsibilities.
The Federal Government has subsequently released the names of the suspended personnel as the investigation gets underway.
The suspension is an administrative measure pending the outcome of the investigation and does not by itself establish individual responsibility for the deaths.
Deaths raise questions over detention conditions
The 37 suspected illegal miners died while in NSCDC custody in Minna, Niger State, following enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining.
The incident has generated questions about the circumstances in which the detainees were held, the medical attention available to them and the events preceding their deaths.
A survivor has also alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed inside an overcrowded cell shortly before detainees began collapsing. That account remains an allegation to be examined by investigators.
The independent panel is expected to provide evidence-based findings on the cause of death and establish whether any official or other individual should face further action.