The federal government has deployed a “high-powered” team to Niger state to investigate the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who were being held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development, announced the deployment in a statement on Friday, saying the team would investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and establish the facts of the incident.
“Given the allegation that the detained persons were arrested on suspicion of carrying out illegal mining, I have deployed a high-powered team of officials to Niger State to investigate the circumstances and ascertain the facts of the matter,” the statement reads.
“The team will collaborate with other investigators to provide a comprehensive report on the incident.”
Alake expressed condolences to Mohammed Umaru Bago, governor of Niger, and the people of the state, describing the loss of lives as a tragedy that had affected families and communities.
“It is with profound shock and deep sorrow that I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Niger State, His Excellency, Mohammed Umaru Bago, and the entire people of the state over the tragic loss of lives among detained citizens in Minna,” he said.
“The loss of any life is a deeply painful occurrence, and a tragedy of this magnitude affects us all.
“During this solemn period of state mourning, my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and the communities bearing the weight of this grief.”
The minister commended Bago for his “swift administrative response” in declaring a period of mourning and establishing an investigative framework to determine what led to the deaths.
He said a thorough, transparent and independent inquiry was necessary to establish accountability and prevent similar incidents from occurring in detention and correctional facilities.
The development followed a statement by Suberu Aniviye, NSCDC commandant in Niger, on Thursday, in which he said the suspects had been arrested during operations conducted on September 15 and 16.
Aniviye said “scores of the detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of Thursday following a suspected outbreak of disease”.
The federal government subsequently suspended Aniviye and ordered a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
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