The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has detained 24 of its personnel in connection with the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in its custody in Niger State.
The Corps Public Relations Officer, ACC Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this while parading the officers at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Sauka, Abuja.
Afolabi said the personnel were taken into protective custody on September 17, following a joint investigation by the Commandant General’s Special Investigation Squad.
He said three additional personnel were suspended, bringing the number of those detained to 24, including the suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye.
The NSCDC spokesperson said the affected officers are undergoing interrogation and administrative disciplinary procedures, and will be made available to the Presidential Independent Investigation Committee and other panels investigating the incident.
The 37 suspected illegal miners were arrested on September 15 and 16 over allegations of illegal mining, but were later found dead in NSCDC custody.
The development sparked public concern and calls for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Meanwhile, Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, says survivors have alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed inside the detention facility where the miners were held.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, the governor said survivors also complained of overcrowding and poor ventilation, with some reportedly struggling to breathe.
Governor Bago said some survivors alleged that the substance caused coughing and choking, but stressed that the claims remain subject to investigation.
The governor said he visited the detention facility and later the General Hospital in Minna, where the bodies were taken.
He described the condition of some of the bodies as disturbing, saying doctors had collected samples and autopsies had been conducted on some of the deceased.
Governor Bago said several committees, including those involving the Police and the Department of State Services, are investigating the incident.
He also said the exact number of people arrested and detained remains part of the investigation.
The NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, says the Corps does not condone unprofessional conduct or actions that undermine the fundamental rights of citizens.
The Corps has also ordered its flag to be flown at half-mast across all formations for three days, beginning Sunday, September 20, in honour of those who died.
Both the NSCDC and Niger State Government say investigations will establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and provide answers to the families of the victims.
The investigations are expected to determine the cause of the deaths, establish responsibility and guide further action against anyone found culpable.
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