Tinubu Orders Full Probe After 37 Miners Die in NSCDC Custody in Niger State

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners held by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State, warning that any official found responsible will face prosecution.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered 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 in Niger State, and warned that any official found to have contributed to the deaths through negligence or abuse would be arrested and prosecuted.

The miners died following an NSCDC enforcement operation targeting illegal mining activity around the Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Niger State on or before September 18. The exact cause of death has not yet been determined, and authorities have ordered autopsies and forensic examinations to establish what killed the detainees.

In a statement, the presidency said Tinubu directed a comprehensive and transparent probe covering the circumstances of the arrests, the conditions in which the detainees were held, the medical care available to them, and the sequence of events leading to their deaths. “The life of every Nigerian mattered and no citizen should die in government custody through negligence, abuse or inhumane treatment,” the president said, according to the statement.

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago described the deaths as “unfortunate and tragic” and pledged that the matter would be investigated to “a logical conclusion.” His deputy, Yakubu Garba, is chairing a state-level committee set up to examine the incident, with Commissioner Maurice Magaji serving as secretary. The State Security Service, the police and the NSCDC have each also set up separate internal committees.

The Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suspended the NSCDC’s Niger State Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, to allow the investigation to proceed without interference. Solid Minerals Development Minister Dele Alake has separately deployed a ministerial team to the site, and the Federal Government, through Information Minister Mohammed Idris, has extended condolences to the families of the deceased and to Governor Bago.

Idris said the Federal Government remained committed to tackling illegal mining, which he described as a threat to national security and resources, but stressed that enforcement operations “must be carried out within the law and with respect for human life and dignity.” He said there would be “no attempt to shield anyone found culpable” and appealed to residents to allow the investigation to proceed without interference.

The state government has ordered the closure of all illegal mining activity at the site pending further review, and has said experts from Abuja will be brought in to assess the mining operations there. Officials said a register of the deceased miners’ families is being compiled ahead of further engagement.

The opposition African Democratic Congress has separately called for an independent inquiry into the deaths, demanding autopsies, compensation for affected families, and the prosecution of any officials found responsible — a position broadly aligned with the president’s own directive.

No timeline has yet been given for the conclusion of the investigation or the release of autopsy results.