NSCDC Sets to Investigate Death of Suspected Illegal Miners in Niger

<p><strong>The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps &lpar;NSCDC&rpar; has constituted a high-powered investigative team to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths of some suspected illegal miners arrested during enforcement operations in Niger State&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The suspects were apprehended by the Niger State Command during coordinated operations conducted on September 15 and 16&comma; 2026&comma; in the M&period;I&period; Wushishi&sol;Lukoto axis as part of efforts to curb illegal mining activities&period;<&sol;p><p class&equals;"ari-link"><strong>Read also&colon;<&sol;strong> <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;sparknewsdaily&period;com&period;ng&sol;nerc-power-plants-utilised-81-of-available-capacity-in-september&sol;">NERC&colon; Power Plants Utilised 81&percnt; of Available Capacity in September<&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Commandant General of the NSCDC&comma; Prof&period; Ahmed Abubakar Audi&comma; directed the Deputy Commandant General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation to lead the probe into the incident&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The investigative team is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths&comma; including the condition of the suspects at the time of arrest&comma; their period in custody&comma; detention conditions and the medical attention they received&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The remains of the deceased have been deposited at the General Hospital&comma; Minna&comma; for medical examination and determination of the actual cause of death&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In a statement on Thursday by the Corps’ National Public Relations Officer&comma; Babawale Afolabi&comma; the NSCDC said it was working with relevant health authorities and sister security agencies on appropriate medical and public-health measures&period;<&sol;p><p class&equals;"ari-link"><strong>Read also&colon;<&sol;strong> <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;sparknewsdaily&period;com&period;ng&sol;nerc-power-plants-hit-86-capacity-utilisation-in-august&sol;">NERC&colon; Power Plants Hit 86&percnt; Capacity Utilisation in August<&sol;a><&sol;p><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Corps also cautioned against speculation over reports linking the deaths to a specific disease&comma; stressing that such claims had not been medically or laboratory confirmed&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Reports attributing the deaths to any specific disease remain subject to medical and laboratory confirmation&comma;” the statement said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Audi further directed that the health and welfare of all persons currently in NSCDC custody be given priority&comma; while measures are taken to protect personnel who may have come into contact with the affected persons&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Corps expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and assured them that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be thoroughly investigated and addressed based on established facts&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"ari-link"><strong>Read also&colon;<&sol;strong> <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;sparknewsdaily&period;com&period;ng&sol;president-bola-ahmed-tinubu-is-nigerias-greatest-ever-leader-princess-zahrah-mustapha-audu&sol;">President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Is Nigeria’s Greatest Ever Leader &&num;8211&semi; Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu<&sol;a><&sol;p><p>While reaffirming its commitment to tackling illegal mining and protecting Nigeria’s natural resources&comma; the NSCDC said it would continue to uphold the dignity&comma; safety and fundamental rights of persons in its custody&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>It appealed to members of the public to remain calm and allow the investigative and medical processes to establish the facts&comma; promising to release further updates when verified information becomes available&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;