The Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), CC Suberu Aniviye Siyaka, has been indicted by an investigative committee over the deaths of 33 detainees in custody.
The committee accused Siyaka of leadership failures, abuse of authority and professional misconduct following the deaths of suspected illegal miners and other detainees in September 2026.
According to the investigation report, Siyaka authorised and supervised the operation without proper planning, an approved operational order or adequate oversight. He was also accused of permitting overcrowding and unlawful detention practices.
The committee further alleged that the commandant issued a false public statement attributing the deaths to a disease outbreak.
However, medical and forensic findings did not support the disease outbreak claim. Instead, the investigation linked the deaths to severe overcrowding, poor ventilation, excessive heat and dehydration inside a detention cell in Minna.
The incident occurred between September 16 and 17, 2026, following the arrest and detention of suspected illegal miners and other individuals by the NSCDC Niger State Command.
The committee confirmed that 33 detainees died, while 41 others survived. Fourteen of the deceased were minors.
Medical examinations were conducted on three of the deceased, while the remaining 30 had been buried before the medical team arrived.
The report stated that the three examined victims died from acute respiratory failure consistent with environmental asphyxia. It identified overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, heat exposure and dehydration as major contributing factors.
The committee also faulted the command for conducting the operation without proper planning or an approved operational order and for bypassing the specialised Mining Marshals Unit.
Several other NSCDC officers were also indicted over their alleged roles in the incident.
CSC Sunday Oluwadare, head of the Investigation Unit, was accused of facilitating unlawful detention practices and failing to intervene despite knowing about the deteriorating conditions inside the cell.
SC Usman Ndamaka was indicted for allegedly maintaining the overcrowded detention conditions, failing to respond appropriately to emergency alerts and participating in cleaning and altering the detention area before an independent inspection.
ASCI Hassan Mohammed was also accused of failing to open the cell despite repeated distress signals from detainees.
Similarly, DSC Abubakar Muhammad Dabban was faulted for profiling suspects, including minors, for detention without adequately protecting their rights. The committee also criticised his handling and documentation of exhibits.
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Beyond the conduct of individual officers, the investigation identified institutional weaknesses within the NSCDC, including inadequate detention facilities, poor supervision, the absence of closed-circuit television systems, weak documentation and limited emergency medical services.
The committee also cited inadequate funding, workforce imbalances and poor intelligence-reporting arrangements as factors affecting detention management.
It recommended disciplinary and legal action against officers found responsible for the deaths and related misconduct.
The committee further called for reforms to improve supervision, detention procedures, staff training and accountability within the corps.
However, the committee’s findings and recommendations do not, by themselves, constitute criminal convictions.
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