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The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has paraded 24 personnel, including the suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Subaru Siyaka Aniviye, in connection with the tragic deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners held in custody.
The officers were paraded at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja following their arrest and detention.
In a statement delivered during the parade, Corps Public Relations Officer Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi confirmed that three additional personnel were identified and suspended alongside the initial 21, bringing the total number of detained officers to 24.
Afolabi revealed that a joint operation conducted with the Commandant General’s Special Investigation Squad (SIS) led to the officers being taken into protective custody on September 17, 2026.
The personnel are undergoing interrogation and administrative disciplinary procedures ahead of their appearance before the Presidential Independent Investigation Committee and other investigative panels.
Following the incident, Commandant General Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi ordered the NSCDC flag to be flown at half-mast across all commands and formations nationwide for three days, effective Sunday, September 20, 2026, as a mark of institutional grief and official disapproval of the misconduct.
The Commandant General assured the public that due process, transparency, and strict accountability will guide the ongoing probe, emphasizing that any officer found culpable will face internal sanctions and criminal prosecution under the law.
The 37 deceased individuals were initially arrested during anti-illegal mining operations carried out by the Corps across the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto regions of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
While the NSCDC originally suggested a possible disease outbreak as the cause of death, official medical examinations are underway to establish the precise cause.
The 24 paraded NSCDC personnel are:
- Commandant Subaru Siyaka Aniviye (Suspended NSCDC Niger State Commandant)
- DCC Ajayi Philips (HOD, Intelligence and Investigation – cited for lack of supervision)
- DCC John Agrahau Chagwa (HOD, Operations – cited for lack of supervision)
- DCC Obafemi Elvis
- ACC Stephen Tsado (Officer in Charge, Legal)
- CSC Oluwadare Sunday
- CSC Annas Shittu Lamino
- SC Usman Isah Ndamaka
- DSC Aminu Sule Garba
- DSC Musa Marafa
- DSC Isah Sulaiman
- ASCI Hassan Muhammad
- ASCI Alhassan Muhammad
- Aliyu Sallah (On guard duty)
- IC Abdullahi Sale
- IC Mohammed N. Sonfada
- Mohammed Jiya
- Sale Adamu
- Haruna Muhammed
- CCA Baba Muhamma
- CAI Isah Sanusi
- CAI Liman Abubakar
- CAI Bala Usman
- CAI Ahmed Wushishi
The NSCDC reaffirmed its commitment to fundamental human rights, rule of law, and operational ethics, pledging to keep the public updated as investigations progress.
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