By Woke Joshua
The Federal Government has ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, over the alleged deaths of suspected illegal miners in Minna, the state capital.
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, also directed a full investigation into the incident, which reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday in the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna.
The alleged deaths followed the arrest of suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations conducted in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Tunji-Ojo, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, on Friday, said the suspension of the commandant would remain in effect pending the outcome of the investigation.
“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” the minister declared.
He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting lives, saying, “We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this.”
The minister urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding to allow for a transparent investigation into the incident.
He also commiserated with the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, as well as the families and relatives of the deceased.