By Jelili Gbadamosi
A legal officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has told the commission investigating the deaths of suspected illegal miners in Niger State that he advised the suspended state commandant to release underage detainees to their parents.
Stephen Tsado, Assistant Commandant of Corps said he gave the advice to suspended Niger State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, after considering the rights of the minors in custody.
Tsado disclosed this while testifying before the Justice Mohammed Mohammed Commission of Inquiry in Minna, which is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
According to him, the minors ought to have been granted bail to their parents to prevent any infringement on their rights.
The testimony came shortly after Aniviye admitted before the commission that the deaths could have been avoided and described the incident as a costly mistake.
Aniviye also apologised to the families of the deceased, the Niger State Government and residents of the state, expressing regret that the incident occurred during his tenure.
The suspended commandant told the commission that the miners were arrested following complaints from residents of the M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate over activities at a mining site.
He said he personally visited the site on September 15, 2026, before deploying Mining Marshals for an operation the following evening.
Aniviye said he learnt of the deaths on September 17 after receiving a telephone call and subsequently returned to the command’s office, where he found bodies on the floor of the detention cell.
He said he informed Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, the state Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Services, while arrangements were made to move the bodies to the mortuary.
The suspended commandant further disclosed that the suspects were scheduled to be arraigned in court on September 17 before the deaths occurred.
Meanwhile, a nurse attached to the NSCDC medical unit, Maryam Etang, told the commission that she visited the detention cell on September 16 and 17 during her routine duties.
Etang said she was surprised to find the body of Emeka Emmanuel among those brought out of the cell, claiming that he was not one of the miners arrested during the operation.
The commission is expected to establish how the deaths occurred, determine whether proper procedures were followed and examine the roles of the officers involved.
