The Federal Government has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, over the reported deaths of suspected illegal miners in Minna.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered the immediate suspension and directed a full investigation into the incident.
The reported deaths occurred at the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna after enforcement operations carried out in parts of the state on September 15 and 16, 2026.
The directive was contained in a statement signed by the minister’s Senior Assistant on Media and Publicity, Babatunde Alao, and shared on Tunji-Ojo’s Facebook page on Friday morning.
“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.
The minister said the Federal Government prioritised the protection of human life and insisted that security operations must be conducted within the law.
“We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo called for calm and urged residents to remain law-abiding while the investigation continued.
He also commiserated with Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, and the families of those reported dead.
The minister said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the appropriate action to be taken.