Suberu Aniviye, the suspended Niger State commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has apologised to the families of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the agency’s custody.
Gatekeepers News reports that Aniviye tendered the apology while testifying before a panel of inquiry investigating the deaths in Minna, the state capital, describing the incident as a costly mistake that could have been avoided.
He appealed to the bereaved families for forgiveness during the second sitting of the panel, chaired by Justice Mohammed Mohammed.
The suspended commandant said the operation that led to the arrests followed complaints from residents around the M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate about mining activities in their communities.
He told the panel that he visited the area on September 15 before directing the deployment of mining marshals, who arrested the suspected illegal miners the following evening.
Aniviye said he learnt of the deaths through a telephone call on September 17 and returned to the command’s office, where he found the bodies lying on the floor of the detention cell.
He said he subsequently informed Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, who directed that the bodies be taken to a mortuary. He also contacted the state Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Services.
The suspended commandant added that the suspects had been scheduled to appear in court on September 17 before their deaths occurred.
Meanwhile, Stephen Tsado, the state NSCDC legal officer, told the panel that he had advised Aniviye to release underage suspects to their parents on bail. However, he said the advice was not followed.
Maryam Etang, a nurse attached to the command’s medical unit, also testified before the panel. She raised questions about the presence of one Emeka Emmanuel among the deceased, saying he was not among the suspected miners arrested during the operation.
After the sitting, the panel visited the mortuary at Minna General Hospital, where the victims’ bodies were kept. The chairman said three bodies remained unclaimed.
The deaths occurred after suspected illegal miners were arrested during enforcement operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
Following the incident, Federal Government suspended Aniviye and 20 other NSCDC officers pending investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The government also constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident and establish the cause of the deaths and any responsibility arising from them.
On October 5, Vice-President Kashim Shettima visited Minna and announced a ₦250 million Federal Government donation to the victims’ families.
The panel’s investigation is expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine whether lapses in the handling of the detainees contributed to the incident.
