NSCDC's Suberu Aniviye Apologizes for Miners' Deaths

Suberu Aniviye, the suspended Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), expressed his apologies to the families of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in custody. This occurred during his testimony before a judicial panel of inquiry in Minna, chaired by Justice Mohammed Mohammed.

Aniviye characterized the incident as a costly error that could have been avoided. He recounted that the operation leading to the arrests was initiated after complaints from residents of M.I.

Wushishi Housing Estate regarding mining activities. The suspects were arrested on the evening of September 16, with plans to arraign them in court on September 17.

Aniviye received a call on that day about the deaths and found the bodies in the detention cell upon his return. He informed Niger State Governor Umaru Bago, who ordered the bodies to be moved to the mortuary.

Following the incident, the Federal Government suspended Aniviye and initiated a probe, establishing a 10-member independent committee to investigate the circumstances of the tragedy. Vice-President Kashim Shettima later announced a ₦250 million donation to the victims' families.