37 Miners’ Deaths: Police Seal Niger Scene for Evidence

 

By Abubakar Musa

The Nigeria Police Force has secured the scene of the incident in Niger State where 37 suspected illegal miners died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as investigations into the deaths commence.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, disclosed this on Saturday after inspecting the scene alongside Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, and other security officials. 

Disu said securing the scene was necessary to preserve evidence and ensure that nothing was removed, altered or introduced before investigators concluded their work.

According to him, police and other security agencies had moved into the area following demonstrations and riots triggered by the deaths.

He said the situation had become calm after Governor Bago imposed a curfew, while appealing to residents to remain peaceful and avoid taking the law into their own hands.

The IGP assured residents that the investigation would be transparent and that relevant information would not be concealed.

He added that the police would work with the committee established by the Niger State Government, the NSCDC and other security agencies to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths. 

The deaths followed the arrest of suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations around the Wushishi-Lukoto axis of Niger State.

The cause of the deaths has not yet been established. Authorities have commenced forensic and medical examinations, including autopsies, to determine what led to the deaths. 

The incident has triggered multiple investigations. The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths, including the circumstances of the arrests and detention of the victims. 

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had also ordered an investigation, while the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, was suspended pending the outcome of the probe.

President Bola Tinubu has directed a full and transparent investigation into the incident, with instructions that any official found culpable should face the appropriate legal consequences. 

The Police said investigations would continue in collaboration with relevant government agencies as authorities seek to establish the facts surrounding the deaths.