BREAKING: Tinubu Gives Fresh Order Over Deaths of 37 Miners

• President Bola Tinubu has ordered a full and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 miners in NSCDC custody in Niger State, directing that any official found responsible be arrested and prosecuted.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a full and transparent investigation into the deaths of suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.

The President directed that any official found by investigators to have contributed to the deaths through action, abuse or negligence should be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Tinubu, in a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the deaths as a grave matter requiring urgent investigation and accountability.

He stressed that every Nigerian has a right to life and that no person should die in government custody because of negligence, abuse, inhumane treatment or dereliction of duty.

“Where the investigation establishes that any official, through action, abuse or negligence, contributed to these deaths, such an officer must be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law. There must be accountability,” the President said.

The deaths involved suspected illegal miners arrested during enforcement operations around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto area of Minna on September 15 and 16.

Niger State Governor Umaru Bago confirmed that 37 suspected illegal miners died while in NSCDC custody. He said forensic examinations, medical examinations and autopsies were being conducted to establish the scientific cause of death.

The exact cause of the deaths has not been conclusively established. Authorities have said several possibilities are being investigated, including conditions within the detention facility and possible exposure to hazardous substances associated with illegal mining.

Tinubu directed that the investigation examine the circumstances surrounding the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they were taken into custody, the conditions under which they were detained, the number of people held at the facility, the medical attention provided and the events leading to their deaths.

He also cautioned that administrative measures such as the suspension of officers should not replace a determination of possible criminal responsibility.

“The suspension of officers is only an administrative step and must not substitute for a proper determination of criminal responsibility where the evidence warrants prosecution,” Tinubu said.

The President further directed the Ministry of Interior and NSCDC leadership to cooperate fully with investigative authorities and ensure that no officer interferes with the process or frustrates efforts to establish what happened.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had already ordered a full-scale investigation and directed the NSCDC Niger State Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, to step aside while the investigation proceeds.

The Niger State Government has also constituted a committee of inquiry to investigate the deaths and ordered autopsies as part of efforts to determine the cause.

The Nigeria Police Force is separately investigating the deaths, with the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, saying the police would work with the NSCDC and Niger State Government to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. Police have also taken charge of the scene to preserve evidence.

The incident has triggered protests and heightened tension in Minna. Governor Bago subsequently imposed a 24-hour curfew in the state capital as authorities moved to contain the unrest.

The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has also deployed a team of experts to Niger State to investigate the deaths and produce a report on the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Meanwhile, human rights organisation Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the deaths, noting that some of those detained were reportedly minors.

Tinubu appealed for calm among the families and communities affected by the incident and said the Federal Government would pursue the truth and take appropriate action based on credible evidence.

“We must never allow the pursuit of one form of illegality to create another. The government must enforce the law firmly, but it must also obey the law. The sanctity of human life is non-negotiable,” the President said.