The Federal Government’s committee that investigated the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State has recommended the dismissal and prosecution of senior officers involved in the incident.
This followed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detainees arrested during enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining activities in the state.
President Bola Tinubu had ordered a comprehensive investigation and vowed that the suspension of officers implicated in the matter would not replace criminal prosecution where evidence of wrongdoing is established.
President Tinubu said the investigation must establish whether any official contributed to the deaths through misconduct, abuse of authority or negligence.
“The suspension of officers is only an administrative step and must not substitute for a proper determination of criminal responsibility where the evidence warrants prosecution”, the President said.
“We must never allow the pursuit of one form of illegality to create another. The government must enforce the law firmly, but it must also obey the law. The sanctity of human life is non-negotiable.”
The president directed the Ministry of Interior and the NSCDC leadership to cooperate fully with the investigation and prevent any attempt to interfere with the process or frustrate efforts to establish the facts.
The Federal Government had earlier suspended Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and 20 other officers pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated a 10-member independent committee chaired by Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, to investigate the deaths and recommend appropriate action.
The committee was mandated to establish the identities of the deceased, examine the circumstances of their arrest and detention, determine the cause of death and identify any responsibility, negligence or misconduct by officers of the corps.
The investigation also covered the conditions at the detention facility, the number of detainees held there and the medical attention provided before the deaths.
The NSCDC had admitted that the suspected miners died in its custody but said the cause of death had not been established.
Reports had suggested that overcrowding and poor ventilation might have contributed to the deaths. A survivor reportedly said about 65 people were held in the cell.
The NSCDC had initially said a diphtheria outbreak may have led to the deaths but noted that medical and laboratory examinations were required to determine the cause of death.
The FG committee had earlier requested a two-week extension to complete its assignment due to delays in obtaining forensic and pathology reports and the volume of evidence requiring examination.
Its chairman, Kure, said the panel had visited the detention facility in Minna, inspected the mining site and NSCDC state headquarters, conducted autopsies and obtained statements from survivors, bereaved families, corps personnel and other witnesses.
The panel also said it needed to allow suspended officers and other persons implicated in the allegations to respond before concluding its work.
COURTESY: The Whistler
