Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu has visited Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago in Minna and pledged a full investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Disu led a police delegation to the Niger State Government House on Friday following the deaths, which have triggered protests and heightened tension in the state capital.
The IGP described the incident as tragic and assured the governor that the police would work to establish what led to the deaths.
“It’s a very tragic incident and we want to assure you, Your Excellency, that we will leave no stone unturned to unravel the situation that led to these deaths.”
Disu said deaths occurring in custody were a serious matter within the responsibility of the police, particularly given the number of people who died.
He said the Nigeria Police Force would work with the Niger State Government and other agencies already investigating the incident.
The IGP also appealed for calm following reports of attacks and vandalism in parts of Minna. He said police patrols would be intensified across the state to protect lives and property.
Receiving the police delegation, Governor Bago described the deaths as “very sad and disturbing”, explaining that the victims had been arrested at mining sites and taken into NSCDC custody.
According to the governor, 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners had been detained, with 37 later found dead while others remained hospitalised.
Bago cautioned against drawing conclusions about the cause of death while investigations were still underway.
He said investigators were examining several possibilities, including suffocation linked to overcrowding and possible exposure to poisonous or hazardous substances associated with mining activities.
“So probably they died of suffocation. Probably the second one is exposure to certain poisons or poisoning substances on the field.”
The governor said medical, forensic and biological experts had been deployed to collect samples and assist investigators in determining what happened.
He also disclosed that preliminary observations involving some of the bodies, including skin peeling and foaming from the mouth, were being examined. Bago stressed that such observations did not by themselves establish the cause of death.
Authorities are also investigating the possibility of hazardous or radiological exposure at the mining site, with soil samples expected to be collected for laboratory analysis.
The Niger State Government has established a committee of inquiry, while the police, Department of State Services and NSCDC are conducting separate investigations. The Federal Ministry of Mines has also assembled experts and laboratories to examine the mining site and related evidence.
The deaths occurred after NSCDC operations targeting suspected illegal mining activities around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas on September 15 and 16.
The NSCDC initially suggested that a suspected disease outbreak may have been responsible for the deaths. Its national headquarters later cautioned against attributing the deaths to any particular disease before medical and laboratory examinations are completed.
The Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, has been suspended to allow for the investigation, following directives from the Federal Government.
President Bola Tinubu has separately ordered a full and transparent investigation and directed that any official found to have contributed to the deaths through action, abuse or negligence should face arrest and prosecution where the evidence establishes criminal responsibility.
The incident has also triggered protests in Minna, with reports of vandalism of government property, businesses and political offices. Governor Bago subsequently imposed a 24-hour curfew across Minna following the unrest.
Bago urged residents to remain calm and allow the various investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
For now, the official cause of the 37 deaths remains undetermined. The ongoing investigations, autopsies, laboratory examinations and evidence from the detention facility and mining site are expected to establish what happened and whether any officials or other individuals should face further action.
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