Niger State Government orders probe as 37 suspected illegal miners die in NSCDC custody
pannigeriannews
3 min read
By Isaiah Adewole
Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, has ordered a probe into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners detained at the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) facility in Minna, saying the state government would not tolerate injustice.
Bago, who disclosed this during a press conference in Minna, described the incident as “sad” and “tragic” while commiserating with the families of those who lost their lives.
“This morning, we woke up to the news that about 37 persons died in the custody of the civil defence here in Minna. It’s so sad, it’s so tragic, and we first and foremost want to condole the families of those who have lost their lives,” he said.
The governor said the state government had immediately constituted a committee of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
He also disclosed that the NSCDC commander in Niger State and his team had been suspended to allow for a proper investigation into the incident.
“The controller, or the commander of the civil defence here in Niger, has been suspended immediately and his team, so that investigation can be done properly,” Bago said.
According to him, there was yet to be an official determination of the cause of death, warning against drawing premature conclusions.
He said possible causes being considered included suffocation arising from overcrowding in the cells, as well as exposure to lead or other hazardous chemicals allegedly associated with illegal mining.
“But it’s too early for anybody to draw a conclusion on the root causes. Let the committees that have been set up by the CG of Nigerian Civil Defence Corps do their work,” he said.
Bago added that investigations were also being conducted by committees constituted by the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, alongside the state government’s own inquiry.
The governor said forensic examinations, medical examinations and autopsies were being conducted to establish the scientific cause of the deaths.
He further disclosed that the government was compiling a register of the deceased to enable it reach out to their families and commiserate with them.
Bago also appealed for calm following protests that erupted after the corpses were moved for burial.
“When the corpses were moved to the marks for funeral, it sparked up emotions, which is natural, and these youths took loss into their hands, which we don’t encourage,” he said.
He urged youths in the state to refrain from violence, stressing that violent action would not bring back those who had died.
Meanwhile, the governor announced the closure of the illegal mining site in the Ema Ushishi Zone, linking the operation to concerns over unsafe mining practices.
He said some reports concerning the condition of the corpses, including peeling skin and foaming from the mouth with blood, had further underscored the need for scientific investigations.
“It could be a lot of things, could be poisoning, and that is why the forensic audit is being done, the medical examination is being done, and also autopsy is being done, so that we can have at least scientific root cause of this death,” Bago said.
About The Author
