Questions surrounding the deaths of 37 illegal mining suspects in NSCDC custody in Minna have deepened, with the Federal Government deploying mining and technical experts to Niger State to assist ongoing investigations.
The team, from the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, is expected to establish what led to the deaths and determine whether mining-related activities or other factors played a role.
Leading the delegation, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Faruk Yabo, said the investigation would cover events before, during and after the suspects were taken into custody.
Governor Mohammed Bago said investigators were considering possible suffocation caused by overcrowding and exposure to hazardous substances linked to mining activities.
He said forensic and medical examinations, including autopsies, had been ordered to determine the scientific cause of death.
The NSCDC Niger State Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, and members of his team have meanwhile been suspended to allow for an unhindered investigation.
The NSCDC has also constituted a panel to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including the condition of the suspects in custody and the medical attention provided to them.
Niger State has also suspended mining activities across the state pending the outcome of the investigations.
