The suspended Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, has admitted that the deaths of suspected illegal miners in the corps’ custody could have been prevented, describing the incident as a “costly mistake” and apologising to the bereaved families and the Niger State Government.
The admission came as the Justice Mohammed Mohammed Commission of Inquiry in Minna heard testimony that the command’s legal officer had advised the former commandant to release minors arrested during the operation to their parents on bail.
Aniviye tendered the apology while testifying before the commission, which is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of detainees in NSCDC custody in September 2026.
“A mistake has been made, but a very costly one. My apology to the parents of the deceased and to the people and government of Niger State,” he told the commission.
The former state commandant expressed regret that the incident occurred during his tenure, acknowledging that the deaths could have been avoided.
He told the commission that he assumed duty as Niger State NSCDC Commandant on August 25, 2025, and remained in office until September 18, 2026.
According to him, the operation at a mining site along the M. I. Wushishi Housing Estate in Minna followed written and oral complaints from residents who alleged that mining activities were disrupting their community.
Aniviye said he visited the site on September 15, 2026, and subsequently directed the command’s Head of Operations, Assistant Commandant of Corps Joha Achagwa, to act on the complaints.
He explained that the Mining Marshal Unit was deployed, leading to the arrest of suspected illegal miners during an operation on the evening of September 16.
The following day, however, several detainees were reported dead in the corps’ custody.
Aniviye told the commission that he received a telephone call informing him that some suspects had died in detention, prompting him to rush to the command headquarters, where he found several bodies lying on the floor of the cell.
He said he contacted Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, who directed that the bodies be taken to a hospital.
Aniviye added that he also informed the Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Services about the incident.
The suspended commandant further disclosed that arrangements had been made to arraign the suspects in court on September 17 before the deaths occurred.
However, testimony by the suspended head of the NSCDC legal unit, Assistant Commandant of Corps Stephen Tsado, raised further questions about the treatment of the detainees and the handling of minors arrested during the operation.
Tsado, whose responsibilities included preparing case files, forwarding cases for prosecution and advising the commandant on legal matters, said he noticed that some of the arrested suspects were minors and advised Aniviye to release them to their parents on bail.
He told the commission that he personally urged the commandant to act on his advice to protect the rights of the minors but could not explain why the recommendation was not implemented.
“I advised him to grant them bail to their parents,” Tsado said.
The commission also heard testimony from Nurse Maryam Etang of the NSCDC medical unit, who said she visited the detention cell as part of her routine duties on September 16 and 17.
Etang disclosed that one of the suspects was coughing seriously on September 17, around the time the bodies were being removed from the cell.
She also said she was shocked to discover the body of one Emeka Emmanuel among those removed, insisting that he was not among the miners arrested during the operation.
Her testimony raised further questions about Emmanuel’s presence in the cell and the circumstances that led to his death.
The commission is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths, examine the treatment of the detainees and determine whether there were lapses in the conduct of the operation and the subsequent handling of those in custody.
In earlier proceedings, a mortician at the Minna General Hospital told the commission that 33 bodies were delivered to the hospital’s mortuary, a figure that differs from the 37 deaths reported by the Niger State Government and other authorities.
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