The Federal Government has ordered a full investigation into the alleged deaths of suspected illegal miners in Niger State and suspended the state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered the immediate suspension of Aniviye following reports of the deaths in the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, the Niger State capital.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday, following the arrest of the suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations conducted in parts of the state on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Tunji-Ojo said the government would conduct a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” the minister said.
He said the government’s priority remained the protection of lives, adding that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
“We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this,” Tunji-Ojo declared.
The minister urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding to allow the investigation process to proceed transparently.
He also expressed his condolences to the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, as well as the families and relatives of the deceased.
The suspension of the state NSCDC commandant takes immediate effect, while the Federal Government’s investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths.
The government said it remained committed to the security of lives and would ensure that the investigation was conducted in a transparent manner.