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The Federal Government has suspended 20 officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) over the reported deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the agency’s custody in Niger State.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the suspension on Saturday, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the incident.
The suspended officers include the Officer-in-Charge of Station Guard, SC Usman Isah Ndamaka; Station Guard, ASCI Hassan Mohammed; Station Guard, CCA Bala Mohammed; Arresting Officer and Officer-in-Charge of Investigation, CSC Oluwadare Sunday; Arresting Officer, DCC Obafemi Elvis; and Arresting Officer, CSC Annas Shitto Lamino.
Others are HOD INT/INV, DCC Philip Ajayi; Officer-in-Charge of Legal, ACC Barr. Stephen Tsado; Day/Night Duty Officer, ASCI Alhassan Mohammed; Guard Duty officers IC Abdullahi Sale, 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.
The minister also constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths and determine the identities of the deceased, circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention, as well as the cause and circumstances of their deaths.
The committee is also expected to establish responsibility, complicity, negligence or misconduct and recommend appropriate sanctions, compensation where applicable and measures to prevent a recurrence.
The panel is chaired by retired DSS Deputy Director-General, Jonathan Kure, mni, while Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, will serve as Secretary.
Other members are retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof. Olayinka Buhari, 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; Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi.
Tunji-Ojo directed the NSCDC leadership and all relevant officers to fully cooperate with the panel and ensure that all records and evidence relating to the incident are preserved and made available.
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 may invite additional experts, access relevant facilities and documents, visit locations connected to the incident and receive memoranda from members of the public.
It has been given 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.
