The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and 20 other officers over the reported deaths of 37 people in the Corps’ custody.
The officers were suspended pending the conclusion of an independent investigation into the deaths, which occurred on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
The Ministry of Interior announced the suspension in a statement signed by the minister on Saturday.
The statement said the suspension was in addition to the setting up of a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident.
According to the statement, the committee is expected to establish the identities of the deceased and investigate their arrest, detention, as well as the cause and circumstances of their deaths.
The minister also directed the committee to determine responsibility, complicity, negligence and misconduct, and recommend appropriate action and compensation where applicable.
The Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Aniviye, had earlier been suspended.
The 20 other NSCDC officers suspended are:
- O/C Station Guard, SC Usman Isah Ndamaka
- Station Guard, ASCI Hassan Mohammed
- Station Guard, CCA Bala Mohammed
- Arresting Officer/O/C Investigation, CSC Oluwadare Sunday
- Arresting Officer, DCC Obafemi Elvis
- Arresting Officer, CSC Annas Shitto Lamino
- HOD INT/INV, DCC Philip Ajayi
- O/C Legal, ACC Barr. Stephen Tsado
- Night Duty Officer, ASCI Alhassan Mohammed
- Guard Duty, IC Abdullahi Sale
- Guard Duty, IC Mohammed Sonfada
- Guard Duty, CAI Liman Abubakar
- Guard Duty, CAI Bala Usman
- Guard Duty, IC Mohammed Jiya
- Guard Duty, DSC Isah Suleiman
- Guard Duty, CAI Ahmed Wushishi
- Guard Duty, IC Sale Adamu
- Guard Duty, IC Haruna Mohammed
- Guard Duty, ASCI Aliyu Sallah
- Guard Duty, CAI Isah Sanusi
The 37 deceased were among scores of suspected illegal miners arrested by the NSCDC Niger State Command during enforcement operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state on September 15 and 16.
The Corps said the operation was part of efforts to tackle illegal mining activities and that various exhibits were recovered during the arrests.
The following day, some of the detainees were found dead in NSCDC custody in Minna.
The NSCDC initially said the deaths followed a suspected disease outbreak and that the bodies had been taken to the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination to establish the actual cause of death.
However, the cause of the deaths remained unconfirmed.
A survivor, Dauda Shehu, told journalists that detainees had been packed into a poorly ventilated cell and struggled to breathe. The account has not been established as the official cause of death.
Another survivor alleged that a substance resembling perfume was sprayed inside an overcrowded cell shortly before some detainees began collapsing.
The deaths sparked protests in Minna, with the Niger State Government subsequently imposing a curfew following unrest.
Governor Umar Bago also confirmed the death toll and ordered a state-level inquiry into the incident.
Following the incident, President Bola Tinubu directed a comprehensive investigation.
Credit: Punch
