Niger State Miners’ Deaths: Suspended NSCDC Commandant Admits ‘Costly Mistake’, Apologises To Bereaved Families
Suberu Aniviye's admission came as the command’s legal officer said he had advised the former commandant to release minors arrested during the operation to their parents on bail. The post Niger State Miners’ Deaths:…
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is a federal paramilitary agency tasked with protecting critical infrastructure, enforcing environmental and mining regulations, and supporting other security agencies in combating crimes such as illegal mining, which remains widespread across Niger State and other mineral-rich parts of Nigeria. Illegal mining operations often involve informal workers, including minors, who are vulnerable to exploitation and unsafe conditions, and crackdowns on such sites frequently raise questions about the treatment and welfare of detainees in custody.
The death of 37 suspected illegal miners while in NSCDC custody has triggered public outrage and an internal reckoning within the Corps, leading to the suspension of the Niger State Commandant, identified across reports as Suberu Aniviye (also rendered Siaka Zubeiru Anirive). Coverage converges on his admission that the deaths were a "costly mistake" and his apology to the bereaved families, with Channels TV adding detail from the command's legal officer on advice given to release arrested minors to their parents on bail. What remains unaddressed in the reporting so far is the precise cause of the deaths, the conditions under which the miners were held, and whether any further disciplinary or criminal action will follow the commandant's suspension.