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, Suberu Aniviye, following the deaths of suspected illegal miners in the state.
Tunji-Ojo also ordered a full investigation into the incident, which reportedly occurred at the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, the state capital, in the early hours of Thursday.
The minister’s directive was contained in a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde.
According to the statement, the suspected illegal miners were arrested during enforcement operations conducted in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” Tunji-Ojo said.
“We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this.”
The minister urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding to allow for a transparent investigation.
He also commiserated with Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and the families and relatives of the deceased.
Reports have put the number of suspected illegal miners who died in custody at no fewer than 33, although the NSCDC has not confirmed a specific figure.
The deaths had earlier prompted the NSCDC to set up an investigative team to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a statement on Thursday, the NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, said the team, led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation, had been mandated to conduct a comprehensive inquiry.
The investigation will examine the condition of the suspects when they were arrested, their time in custody, detention conditions, medical attention provided to them and other circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The NSCDC also cautioned against speculation about the cause of the deaths, saying reports attributing them to any specific disease remained subject to medical and laboratory confirmation.
