The Niger State Government has set up a Committee of Inquiry to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in the state.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago disclosed this on Wednesday during a press conference in Minna.
According to a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, the governor said the Department of State Services, DSS, the Nigeria Police Force and the NSCDC have also constituted separate internal committees to investigate the incident.
The state government’s committee will be chaired by the Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba, with the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Maurice Magaji, serving as secretary.
Governor Bago said a forensic audit and autopsy will be conducted on the victims to ascertain the exact cause of death.
He also disclosed that the NSCDC Commandant General has suspended the Niger State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye and his team to allow for an unhindered investigation.
Describing the incident as “unfortunate and tragic,” Governor Bago condoled with the families of the deceased and assured them that government will get to the root of the matter.
“His government values the lives of its citizens and as such, will not tolerate any kind of injustice and will make sure that the incident is probed to a logical conclusion,” the statement read.
The governor said the state government is compiling a register of the bereaved families and appealed to them to remain patient as investigation continues.
He further announced the immediate closure of all illegal mining activities around the M.I Wushishi mining site, warning that anyone found violating the order will be prosecuted. He added that experts from Abuja will be invited to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the site.
Governor Bago appealed to residents of the state, particularly youths, to remain calm, not take the law into their own hands, and allow relevant authorities to handle the matter.
