The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested and detained three more personnel in connection with the deaths of suspected illegal miners in Niger State. This brings the total number of officers in custody to 24. The NSCDC Spokesman, Assistant Commandant of Corps Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.
The latest arrests came as the Corps ordered its flag to fly at half-mast across all its formations for three days from Sunday, as a mark of mourning over the incident. The development came 24 hours after the Federal Government constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the reported deaths. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had announced the committee on Saturday following President Bola Tinubu's directive for a comprehensive, transparent, and unhindered investigation into the incident.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered the suspension of all officers allegedly involved in the incident. Reacting in a statement on Sunday, Afolabi said the three additional personnel identified in connection with the incident had been suspended. The spokesman noted that all the affected officers and men of the Niger State Command had been moved to the NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja for interrogation and administrative disciplinary action.
The NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi, said the Corps would ensure due process, transparency, and accountability in the investigation. He directed that the NSCDC flag be flown at half-mast across all formations for three days beginning Sunday. Audi emphasized that every personnel found culpable would face the full weight of internal disciplinary measures and the law.
The officers currently held include the suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Subaru Siyaka Aniviye; Ajayi Philips, Head of Intelligence and Investigation; John Agrahau Chagwa, Head of Operations; Obafemi Elvis; Stephen Tsado, Officer-in-Charge of Legal; and other personnel. The federal government's 10-member panel is expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine the responsibilities of any individuals or institutions found to have played a role in the incident.
Afolabi added that the personnel would also be made available to the Presidential Independent Investigation Committee and other investigation panels for further investigation and possible prosecution. He said the Corps had taken the officers into protective custody at the National Headquarters, Abuja, where they are undergoing rigorous interrogation and administrative disciplinary action.
The incident occurred on Thursday, September 17, 2026, and the NSCDC has been taking steps to ensure accountability and transparency in the investigation. The Corps has assured that it would not condone unprofessional conduct, high-handedness, or any action that undermines the fundamental rights of citizens or the sacred trust reposed in it.
Key points
- The NSCDC has arrested a total of 24 personnel in connection with the deaths of suspected illegal miners in Niger State.
- The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the reported deaths.
- The NSCDC has ordered its flag to fly at half-mast across all its formations for three days as a mark of mourning over the incident.
