The Federal Government has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, following the deaths of suspected illegal miners in the state.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered the immediate suspension of the commandant and directed a full investigation into the incident, which reportedly occurred at the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, the Niger State capital, in the early hours of Thursday.

The development was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde.

According to the statement, the suspected illegal miners were arrested during enforcement operations conducted in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.

“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” Tunji-Ojo said.

“We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this.”

The minister urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding while the investigation is conducted, adding that the process would be transparent.

He also commiserated with Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, as well as the families and relatives of the deceased.

Reports had put the number of suspected illegal miners who died in custody at no fewer than 33, although the NSCDC has not released a specific figure.

The deaths had earlier prompted the NSCDC to constitute an investigative team to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, said the team, led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation, had been mandated to conduct a comprehensive inquiry.

The investigation is expected to examine the condition of the suspects when they were arrested, their period in custody, detention conditions, medical attention provided and other circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The NSCDC also cautioned against speculation over the cause of the deaths, stressing that reports linking them to any specific disease remained subject to medical and laboratory confirmation.