Suspended Niger State NSCDC commandant Suberu Aniviye has apologised to bereaved families over the deaths of detainees in the corps’ custody, telling a commission of inquiry in Minna that the tragedy could have been avoided.
“A mistake has been made, but a very costly one. My apology to the parents of the deceased and to the people and government of Niger State,” Channels Television quoted Aniviye as telling the commission.
Stephen Tsado, the suspended head of the command’s legal unit, said he noticed minors among those arrested and advised that they be released to their parents. He told the commission he could not explain why that advice was not implemented, according to Channels Television.
Aniviye said the operation followed complaints about mining around the M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate. He said he visited the site on September 15 and that suspects were arrested the following evening. He told the commission he learnt of deaths on September 17, returned to headquarters and found bodies on the cell floor.
His account of deploying Mining Marshals is disputed. In a separate statement reported by Daily Trust, the unit’s commander, John Onoja Attah, denied that its operatives took part. Attah said the unit operates from the NSCDC national headquarters and that a state commandant had no authority to deploy it.
Channels Television reported that nurse Maryam Etang told the commission she was surprised to see Emeka Emmanuel among the bodies removed from the cell, saying he had not been among the miners arrested in the operation.
Channels Television reported that a mortician had earlier told the commission that 33 bodies were delivered to Minna General Hospital’s mortuary, compared with the 37 deaths reported by the Niger State Government.
NaijaTrend earlier reported the investigations and Aniviye’s removal from duty here. Aniviye told the commission that the suspects had been due to appear in court on September 17 before the deaths occurred.
Sources: Channels Television, Vanguard, Daily Trust
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