Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, following the alleged de.aths of suspected illegal miners in the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, the state capital
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, issued on Thursday in Abuja.
According to the statement, the incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday, following the arrest of the suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations conducted in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Announcing the suspension, Tunji-Ojo described the incident as unfortunate, declaring, “It is an unfortunate incident; however, a full-scale investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended.”
He added that “we run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives, and we have worked to stay true to this.”
The minister urged members of the public to maintain calm and remain law-abiding to allow for a transparent investigation process, while also commiserating with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State and the families and relatives of the deceased.
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Thorough investigations should be carried out