NIGERIA: NSCDC Detains 24 Personnel Over Deaths Of Miners In Niger, Orders Flag At Half Mast

By Onoja Baba

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has detained 24 personnel in connection with the deaths of suspected illegal miners in its custody in Niger State, as the Corps ordered its flag to fly at half mast across all formations for three days.

The NSCDC Public Relations Officer, ACC Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this on Sunday, saying three additional personnel had been identified and suspended, bringing the number from the earlier 21 to 24.

Afolabi said the affected personnel had been taken into protective custody at the NSCDC headquarters in Abuja since September 17 and were undergoing interrogation and administrative disciplinary proceedings.

He said the action was taken to ensure the personnel remained available to the Presidential Independent Investigation Committee and other investigative panels probing the incident.

“In a swift and decisive joint operation conducted in conjunction with the Commandant General’s Special Investigation Squad, all officers and men of the Niger State Command linked to the gross misconduct have since the 17th September 2026 been taken into protective custody at the National Headquarters, Abuja,” Afolabi said.

The Commandant General, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, said the Corps would not shield any personnel found culpable.

“As a Corps built on integrity, professionalism, discipline, and absolute respect for the rule of law, we do not condone unprofessional conduct, high-handedness, or any action that undermines the fundamental rights of citizens or the sacred trust reposed in us,” Audi said.

He ordered the NSCDC flag to fly at half mast across its formations from Sunday, September 20, for three days as a mark of mourning and institutional remorse.

The deaths followed an anti illegal mining operation conducted by the Niger State Command around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas on September 15 and 16. The NSCDC initially said some detainees had died following a suspected disease outbreak, but stressed that the actual cause remained subject to medical and laboratory confirmation.

The incident has triggered wider investigations. The Federal Government has constituted a 10 member independent committee following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a “comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation” into the deaths.

Reports from Reuters and other international media have also cited allegations by families and survivors concerning overcrowding and conditions at the detention facility, although the circumstances and actual cause of the deaths remain subjects of investigation.

The NSCDC said it would continue to provide updates on the investigation and assured Nigerians of its commitment to transparency, human rights protection and professional ethics.