Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake has dispatched a high-powered team to Niger State to investigate the deaths of scores of suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Dele Alake said Friday that the team would determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and establish the facts.
His ministry’s inquiry will work alongside investigations already ordered by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Niger State government.
The detainees were arrested during enforcement operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas on September, 15 and 16 as authorities moved to curb illegal mining in the state.
Initial reports put the number of deaths at 33, while later accounts raised the figure to about 40.
The NSCDC has not released a final death toll.
“It is with profound shock and deep sorrow that I extend my heartfelt condolences to Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and the families of the deceased”, Alake said in a statement.
Bago declared a period of mourning and established an investigative framework to examine the incident.
Alake said the circumstances required a “thorough, transparent, and independent inquiry” to determine accountability and prevent similar deaths in detention or correctional facilities.
The cause of death remains unclear.
Niger State NSCDC Commandant Suberu Aniviye attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, while the agency’s national headquarters said no cause had been established and that any link to a particular illness remained subject to medical and laboratory confirmation.
NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Abubakar Audi separately ordered an investigative team led by the agency’s deputy commandant general for intelligence and investigation.
That inquiry is expected to examine the detainees’ condition when they were arrested, their treatment in custody, detention conditions and the medical care they received.
“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”, Alake said.
He added that the team would collaborate with other investigators and submit a comprehensive report.
He also expressed condolences to the bereaved families and communities, praying that they find comfort and that the deceased “rest in eternal peace.”
