The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suspended 20 officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) over the reported deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in custody in Niger State.
The suspension, announced on Saturday, is pending the outcome of an independent investigation ordered into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The development followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation into the incident.
Among those suspended are the Officer-in-Charge of Station Guard, SC Usman Isah Ndamaka; Station Guard, ASCI Hassan Mohammed; Station Guard, CCA Bala Mohammed; Arresting Officer/OIC Investigation, CSC Oluwadare Sunday; Arresting Officer, DCC Obafemi Elvis; and Arresting Officer, CSC Annas Shitto Lamino.
Others are the Head of Intelligence and Investigation, DCC Philip Ajayi; O/C Legal, ACC Barr. Stephen Tsado; Day/Night Duty Officer, ASCI Alhassan Mohammed; and Guard Duty, IC Abdullahi Sale.
The remaining suspended officers are IC Mohammed Sonfada, CAI Liman Abubakar, CAI Bala Usman, IC Mohammed Jiya, DSC Isah Suleiman, CAI Ahmed Wushishi, IC Sale Adamu, IC Haruna Mohammed, ASCI Aliyu Sallah and CAI Isah Sanusi.
Tunji-Ojo also constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of the miners, who were reportedly arrested on suspicion of illegal mining.
The committee is chaired by Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, while Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, will serve as secretary.
Other members include retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof. Olayinka Buhari, a professor of histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and Niger State Government; Alhaji Liman Sulaiman of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju; Blueprint Newspaper’s Zainab Suleiman Okino; and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi.
The committee is expected to establish the identities of the deceased and determine how they were arrested and detained, as well as the cause and circumstances of their deaths.
It will also determine whether there was responsibility, complicity, negligence or misconduct and recommend appropriate sanctions, compensation where applicable and measures to prevent a recurrence.
The minister directed the NSCDC leadership and all relevant officers to cooperate fully with the investigation and ordered that all records and material evidence connected with the incident be preserved.
He warned that any attempt to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation would be treated as a serious offence.
The committee has two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report to the minister.
Tunji-Ojo expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and appealed for calm while the investigation is ongoing.