PHOTO: NSCDC Detains 24 Personnel Over Deaths of Miners in Custody
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has detained 24 personnel in connection with the deaths of 33 suspected illegal miners in Niger State, as the Corps ordered its flag to fly at half-mast across all formations for three days in honour of the victims.
The Corps Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this on Sunday at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja, saying three additional personnel had been identified and suspended, bringing the number of personnel held in connection with the incident from the earlier figure of 21 to 24.
According to him, the affected officers and men of the Niger State Command were taken into protective custody at the National Headquarters on September 17, 2026, following a joint operation involving the Commandant General’s Special Investigation Squad.
Afolabi said the personnel were undergoing interrogation and administrative disciplinary proceedings to make them available to the Presidential Independent Investigation Committee and other investigative panels examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
He said the NSCDC Commandant General, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR, had directed that due process, transparency and accountability be maintained throughout the investigation.
The Corps spokesman quoted Audi as saying that any personnel found culpable would face the full weight of the Corps’ internal disciplinary procedures and the law.
“As a Corps built on integrity, professionalism, discipline, and absolute respect for the rule of law, we do not condone unprofessional conduct, high-handedness, or any action that undermines the fundamental rights of citizens or the sacred trust reposed in us,” the Commandant General said.
Afolabi said the 24 personnel included the suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Subaru Siyaka Aniviye, as well as senior officers responsible for intelligence and investigation, operations and legal affairs, among others.
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The NSCDC spokesperson said the decision to place the personnel in protective custody was part of efforts to ensure that those linked to the incident remained available to the various investigative authorities.
He stressed that the Corps would continue to provide information on the outcome of the investigation, assuring Nigerians that the leadership remained committed to transparency, protection of human rights and professional ethics.
In a further demonstration of institutional mourning, Audi directed that the NSCDC flag be flown at half-mast across all formations of the Corps for three days beginning Sunday, September 20.
According to the Commandant General, the gesture was intended to demonstrate the Corps’ grief and institutional remorse over the incident, as well as its determination to address misconduct within its ranks.
The development follows widespread concern over the deaths of suspected illegal miners who were arrested during enforcement operations around the M.I. Wushishi–Lukoto axis of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths have generated competing accounts, with the NSCDC initially referring to a suspected disease outbreak while other reports raised concerns about the conditions in which the detainees were held.
The Federal Government has consequently constituted an independent investigative committee to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine whether any individual or institution bears responsibility.
The NSCDC said the internal disciplinary process would run alongside the broader investigations and that personnel found culpable would face appropriate sanctions.
The Corps also appealed for the patience and understanding of Nigerians as the investigations continue.
The incident has renewed national attention on both the enforcement of laws against illegal mining and the obligation of security agencies to ensure that suspects in custody are treated in accordance with the law and established human-rights standards.
By PRNigeria
