FG Suspends 20 NSCDC Officers Over Death Of Miners

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and 20 other officers over the reported deaths of 37 people in the Corps’ custody.

The officers were suspended pending the conclusion of an independent investigation into the deaths, which occurred on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

The Ministry of Interior announced the suspension in a statement signed by the minister on Saturday.

The statement said the suspension was in addition to the setting up of a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident.

According to the statement, the committee is expected to establish the identities of the deceased and investigate their arrest, detention, as well as the cause and circumstances of their deaths.

The minister also directed the committee to determine responsibility, complicity, negligence and misconduct, and recommend appropriate action and compensation where applicable.

The Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Aniviye, had earlier been suspended.

The 20 other NSCDC officers suspended are:

1. O/C Station Guard, SC Usman Isah Ndamaka

2. Station Guard, ASCI Hassan Mohammed

3. Station Guard, CCA Bala Mohammed

4. Arresting Officer/O/C Investigation, CSC Oluwadare Sunday

5. Arresting Officer, DCC Obafemi Elvis

6. Arresting Officer, CSC Annas Shitto Lamino

7. HOD INT/INV, DCC Philip Ajayi

8. O/C Legal, ACC Barr. Stephen Tsado

9. Night Duty Officer, ASCI Alhassan Mohammed

10. Guard Duty, IC Abdullahi Sale

11. Guard Duty, IC Mohammed Sonfada

12. Guard Duty, CAI Liman Abubakar

13. Guard Duty, CAI Bala Usman

14. Guard Duty, IC Mohammed Jiya

15. Guard Duty, DSC Isah Suleiman

16. Guard Duty, CAI Ahmed Wushishi

17. Guard Duty, IC Sale Adamu

18. Guard Duty, IC Haruna Mohammed

19. Guard Duty, ASCI Aliyu Sallah

20. Guard Duty, CAI Isah Sanusi

The 37 deceased were among scores of suspected illegal miners arrested by the NSCDC Niger State Command during enforcement operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state on September 15 and 16