Vice-President Kashim Shettima assured families that anyone found culpable will be held accountable, as Niger State puts the toll at 38 after a further death in ensuing riots
The federal government has donated N250 million to the families of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima announced the donation on Monday during a condolence visit to Minna, the Niger State capital. He conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s sympathies to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, the bereaved families and the people of the state.
The men were among dozens of suspects arrested on 15 and 16 September during anti-mining operations around the Lt Gen Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna. They died on 17 September in an NSCDC facility in the city.
Following the deaths, the federal government suspended the Niger State NSCDC commandant, Suberu Aniviye, along with other officers, and ordered a full investigation.
Shettima promises accountability over NSCDC custody deaths
In a statement on his Facebook page, Shettima said the federal government would “get to the root of the tragedy” and ensure that anyone found culpable is held accountable.
At the Government House in Minna, he described the deaths as “a stain on our national conscience.” A citizen deprived of liberty, he said, remains entitled to the state’s protection.
“No uniform confers immunity from accountability,” the vice-president added.
Vanguard reports that he also cautioned against politicising the tragedy or blaming Bago for it.
What happened inside the NSCDC cell
Niger State is rich in minerals and attracts thousands of artisanal miners. Premium Times reported that the NSCDC linked the operation partly to concerns that miners were destroying farmland and residential properties.
Survivors say detainees were packed into a cell with little air. “We were jam-packed in the cell, no ventilation for us to breathe well,” survivor Dauda Shehu told journalists after the incident.
Survivors interviewed by Premium Times also described a chemical spray inside the cell.
The cause of the deaths has not been established. Premium Times noted that survivors’ testimonies do not, by themselves, settle the question. A medical team has begun work to determine the cause, mechanism and manner of death.
Niger raises toll to 38 as Bago announces support
The Niger State Government has confirmed that 38 people died in the incident, after one more person was shot dead during the riots that followed.
Bago thanked the federal government for the donation. He urged it to strengthen regulation of the mining sector and provide safe, legal and dignified opportunities for young people.
He announced N5m in support for each bereaved family and N2m for each survivor. He said 32 survivors had been recorded so far, while committees investigating the incident were still working to establish how many people were affected.
Investigations into the NSCDC deaths continue
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo inaugurated a 10-member independent committee on 22 September to establish the cause and circumstances of the deaths and recommend action. The panel was given two weeks.
The Nigerian Bar Association’s Minna branch has set up a separate 13-member committee to investigate. The NSCDC has also deployed a new commandant, Abdulhamid Kabara, to Niger State.
