The suspended Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, has described the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in custody as a costly mistake, saying the tragedy could have been avoided.
According to AIT, Aniviye apologised to the victims’ families while testifying before a panel of inquiry investigating the incident in Minna, the state capital.
The panel is chaired by a judge, Mohammed Mohammed.
Describing the incident as a costly mistake during his tenure, the suspended commandant expressed regret over the deaths.
The suspended head of the NSCDC legal unit, Stephen Tsado, told the commission that he had advised Aniviye to release the underage suspects to their parents on bail, but his advice was not heeded.
Aniviye said the operation that led to the arrests followed complaints by residents around the M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate about mining activities in their communities.
According to him, he visited the site on September 15 before deploying mining marshals, who arrested the suspected illegal miners the following evening.
He said he learnt of the deaths through a telephone call on September 17 and returned to the command’s office, where he found bodies lying on the floor of the detention cell.
Aniviye said he informed Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, who directed that the bodies be taken to the mortuary.
He added that he also contacted the state Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The suspended commandant told the panel that the suspects had been scheduled to appear in court on September 17 before their deaths.
Meanwhile, Maryam Etang, a nurse attached to the command’s medical unit, told the commission that she was shocked to find the body of one Emeka Emmanuel among those brought out of the cell.
She said Emmanuel was not among the miners arrested during the operation.
In September, 37 suspected illegal miners arrested in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto villages in Niger State reportedly died while in NSCDC custody.
Aniviye had said the suspects were arrested during operations conducted on September 15 and 16.
Following the incident, the Federal Government suspended the commandant and ordered an investigation into the deaths.
It also constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
On October 5, Vice-President Kashim Shettima visited Minna and announced a Federal Government donation of ₦250 million to the victims’ families.
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