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37 Suspected Miners Die in NSCDC Custody as FG Suspends 20 Officers, Sets Up Probe Panel By Rhoda Godwin What began as an operation against suspected illegal mining in Niger State has turned into a tragedy involving 37 detainees, leaving families mourning and the Federal Government demanding answers. The 37 people died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), after they were arrested during enforcement operations around M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Minna on September 15 and 16. The NSCDC initially said scores of detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of Thursday, September 17, following a suspected outbreak of disease. But the actual cause and circumstances of the deaths have not been established. The development has since triggered public concern, protests and calls for accountability, with conflicting accounts emerging about what happened inside the detention facility. Reports have also quoted survivors describing overcrowded and poorly ventilated conditions, but those claims have yet to be established by the official investigation. FG steps in In response to the deaths, the Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident. Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the panel on Saturday following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation. The committee is chaired by Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), while Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, will serve as secretary. Among the members are retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma, histopathologist Prof. Olayinka Buhari, representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and Niger State Government, Liman Sulaiman of the Miners Association of Nigeria, human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi. The panel has been given two weeks to complete its work and submit its report. Its mandate includes establishing the identities of the deceased, examining their arrest and detention, determining the cause and circumstances of their deaths and identifying any responsibility, negligence, misconduct or complicity. The committee may also visit relevant locations, access documents and other evidence, and receive memoranda from members of the public. 20 NSCDC officers suspended The Federal Government has also suspended 20 NSCDC officers connected with the incident, in addition to the Niger State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending the outcome of the investigation. The suspended personnel include officers involved in the arrest and investigation of the suspects, as well as officers responsible for station and guard duties. Tunji-Ojo directed the NSCDC leadership and relevant officers to cooperate fully with the committee and preserve all records and material evidence connected to the incident. He also warned that any attempt to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation would be treated as a serious offence. 37 families waiting for answers Behind the official figures are 37 people whose families are now demanding to know what happened to their loved ones. They were arrested as suspected illegal miners. They were taken into custody. And within a short period, they were dead. For their families, the investigation is therefore about more than determining a figure. It is about establishing how 37 people lost their lives in custody, what happened to them before their deaths and whether those deaths could have been prevented. Until the independent committee concludes its work, the actual cause of the deaths remains unresolved. The Federal Government has expressed condolences to the families and appealed for calm as the investigation proceeds.

37 detainees die in custody as FG suspends officers, orders probe

Rhoda Godwin - 0