The suspended Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, has apologised to the families of the 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the corps.
Naija News reports that Aniviye made the plea when he appeared before the judicial panel of inquiry probing the deaths in Minna, the Niger State capital, according to a report by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
Testifying at the panel’s second sitting, chaired by Justice Mohammed Mohammed, the suspended commandant asked the bereaved families to forgive him, describing the tragedy as a costly error that could have been prevented.
Recounting the events that led to the incident, Aniviye told the panel that the operation was launched after residents of M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate complained about mining activities in their area.
He said he inspected the site on September 15 and thereafter deployed mining marshals, who arrested the suspects the following evening.
According to him, the suspects were to be arraigned in court on September 17.
Aniviye said he received a phone call on September 17 informing him of the deaths, after which he rushed back to the command’s office and found the corpses on the floor of the detention cell.
He said he immediately briefed the Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, who directed that the bodies be moved to the mortuary.
The suspended commandant added that he also notified the state Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Services in the state.
Other witnesses who testified at the sitting were the command’s Legal Officer, Stephen Tsado, and a nurse attached to its medical unit, Maryam Etang.
At the end of the sitting, Justice Mohammed led members of the panel on a visit to the mortuary of the Minna General Hospital, where the remains of the victims were deposited.
The panel chairman said three of the bodies had yet to be claimed as of Thursday.
The 37 suspected miners, arrested in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto villages during operations on September 15 and 16, died in NSCDC custody in September.
Following the incident, the Federal Government suspended Aniviye and ordered a probe into the deaths.
It also set up a 10-member independent committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
On October 5, Vice-President Kashim Shettima visited Minna, where he announced a ₦250 million donation from the Federal Government to the victims’ families.
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