20 officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in Niger State have been suspended as Federal government intensifies efforts to unravel the circumstances leading to the deaths of 37 persons detained by NSCDC Officials on suspicion of illegal mining in the State.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made this known, said all officers involved in the incident would remain suspended pending the conclusion of the independent investigation.
The suspended officers include the Station Guard, SC Usman Isah Ndamaka; Station Guard, ASCI Hassan Mohammed; Station Guard, CCA Bala Mohammed; Arresting Officer/O/C Investigation, CSC Oluwadare Sunday; Arresting Officer, DCC Obafemi Elvis; and Arresting Officer, CSC Annas Shitto Lamino.Nigerian political news
Others are .. HOD INT/INV, DCC Philip Ajayi; O/C Legal, ACC Barr. Stephen Tsado; Day/Night Duty Officer, ASCI Alhassan Mohammed; and 11 officers assigned to guard duties.
The Minister described their deaths as deeply disturbing, pointing out that the government owed the families of the deceased and the Nigerian public transparent account of the circumstances that led to the incident.
Meanwhile, the federal government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The committee is expected to establish the identities of the deceased and investigate their arrests, detention and the causes and circumstances of their deaths.
According to the Minister, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Jonathan Kure, wil serve as Chairman of the committee, while Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, former Director-General of the Nigeria Law School, is the Secretary.
