Interior minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has ordered the immediate suspension of Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, the commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger, following the deaths of 37 illegal miners detained in its custody.
A statement on Friday by Alao Babatunde, the spokesperson for the minister, said the suspension followed the deaths of alleged illegal miners in the Wushishi-Lukoto axis of Minna.
He stated that the incident followed the arrest of the suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations conducted in parts of the state between Tuesday and Wednesday.
“It is an unfortunate incident. However, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended. We run a government whose ultimate priority is the security of lives, and we have worked to stay true to this,” Mr Tunji-Ojo said.
He urged the public to remain calm and law-abiding to allow a transparent investigation while commiserating with Governor Umar Bago and the deceased’s families.
