Niger Miners’ Saga: NSCDC death cell cleaned to destroy evidence, probe panel member says

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps mining marshals)

The cell of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) where 33 suspected illegal miners died in Minna, Niger State, was allegedly washed, disinfected and renumbered in an attempt to destroy evidence, a member of the federal government’s investigation committee has said.

Deji Adeyanju, a lawyer and human rights activist who served on the 10-member Independent Investigation Committee, disclosed this in a post on his social media account on Wednesday, citing findings in the committee’s report.

“NSCDC Cell was washed clean, disinfected, renumbered in an attempt to destroy evidence after the death of 33 miners,” Mr Adeyanju wrote.

The allegation raises further questions about the handling of evidence following the deaths of suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody in Minna in September.

The latest disclosure follows Mr Adeyanju’s earlier post announcing that the committee had submitted its report to the federal government and recommended prosecuting officers involved in the deaths for murder and other offences.

He also said the committee recommended a comprehensive overhaul of the NSCDC’s leadership, compensation for the victims’ families and the formalisation of artisanal mining.

On Wednesday, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the committee had described the deaths as a preventable custodial tragedy caused by severe overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, prolonged exposure to extreme heat and dehydration.

In a statement on his official Facebook page, Mr Tunji-Ojo said the committee found that these conditions, not a disease outbreak, led to the deaths.

The minister added that the report had been transmitted to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for judicial action. He also warned that officers who attempted to conceal, disrupt, or destroy evidence would be held accountable.

The federal government constituted the independent committee on 19 September following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a full and transparent investigation into the deaths.

The incident followed the arrest of suspected illegal miners during operations in Minna on 15 and 16 September. Niger State NSCDC Commandant Suberu Aniviye and 20 other officers were subsequently suspended in connection with the incident.

On 27 October, TheCable reported that the committee had identified asphyxiation, or the deprivation of adequate oxygen, as the cause of death. Committee chairman Jonathan Kure said investigators inspected the detention facility, conducted autopsies and collected witness statements and forensic evidence.

The minister’s subsequent statement attributed the deaths to conditions inside the cell and described the incident as preventable.

The allegation that the cell was cleaned, disinfected and renumbered has not been independently verified by PREMIUM TIMES. The committee’s full report and any official response from the NSCDC on the specific allegation were not immediately available.