Niger State Probes 37 Detainee Deaths in NSCDC Custody

Niger State has constituted a committee to investigate the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody and ordered autopsies to establish the cause. The Niger State Government has constituted a committee of inquiry to determine the cause of the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Bologi Ibrahim, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday. Mr Ibrahim said the committee would be chaired by the Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, while the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Maurice Magaji, would serve as secretary. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn He said the state government would conduct forensic examinations and autopsies on the bodies to establish the exact cause of death and determine the necessary action. The governor also disclosed that the State Security Service, the police and the NSCDC had constituted separate committees to investigate the incident. Commandant suspended According to the statement, the NSCDC Commandant-General had suspended the Niger State Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, and his team to allow for a proper investigation. The governor described the incident as unfortunate and tragic, and commiserated with the families of the deceased. Mr Bago assured the families that the government would investigate the incident and ensure that the matter was brought to a logical conclusion. He said the state government was compiling a register of the deceased's families and would engage with them during the investigation. The governor also ordered the closure of all illegal mining activities around the M.I. Wushishi mining site. He warned that anyone who violated the directive would be prosecuted, adding that experts from Abuja would be invited to analyse the mining site. Mr Bago appealed to residents, particularly youths, to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Amnesty International had called for an independent investigation into the deaths, urging the authorities to establish the circumstances of the arrests and the conditions under which the detainees were held. The rights organisation also called for justice for the victims and their families, and urged that anyone found responsible should face the full weight of the law. Read the original article on Premium Times . Amnesty Demands Independent Probe Into Deaths of Miners in Niger 37 Suspected Illegal Miners Die in Custody AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.