Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has ordered an inquiry into the deaths of about 37 persons in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna.
Bago announced the development during a media chat in Minna, the state capital, saying the government had constituted a committee of inquiry to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
He also said separate investigations had been initiated by relevant security agencies.
According to the Governor, “the NSCDC Commandant in Niger State and his team had been suspended to allow for an impartial investigation into the incident.”
“The government has immediately set up a committee of inquiry and we have started work,” Governor Bago said.
He explained that the NSCDC Director-General, who is currently out of the country, had delegated his deputy to represent him, and that the state government had met with the senior NSCDC official.
Cause of the Deaths
Governor Bago urged caution against drawing conclusions about the cause of the deaths before the completion of forensic and medical investigations.
“There is no official root cause of these deaths yet. It is too early for anybody to draw a conclusion on the root causes,” he said.
The Governor said possible causes being considered included suffocation resulting from overcrowding in detention cells and possible exposure to hazardous substances associated with illegal mining activities.
Governor Bago said forensic examinations, medical assessments and autopsies were being conducted to establish the scientific cause of the deaths.
He said the state government was also compiling a register of the deceased to identify and contact their families.
The Governor condoled with the families of those who died and said the government would engage with the relatives while the investigations continued.
He appealed to youths and other residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands following the incident.
“We are calling on all the youth to please stay away from violence. It is not going to bring back those who have died. It will rather cost us a lot at the end of the day,” he said.
Illegal Mining Site
Governor Bago also announced the closure of activities at the illegal mining site in the Ema Ushishi area as part of measures linked to the circumstances surrounding the incident.
He said the government was concerned about mining activities carried out without the necessary technology, safety equipment and protective gear, which could expose people to dangerous conditions.
The Governor said “the state government would coordinate with the NSCDC, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other relevant authorities as the investigations continued.”
He assured the families of the deceased that the government would reach out to them and provide support, while urging them to remain patient until the facts surrounding the deaths were established.
