*Suspends 20 More Officers
*NBA Urges Thorough Investigation
*IBB Denies Ownership Of Gold Mine Site
THE Federal Government, through the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has constituted a 10-member independent committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 37 persons in the custody of the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) over suspected of illegal mining.
This followed a directive from President Bola Tinubu for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation into the Thursday, September 17 incident in Minna.
Tunji-Ojo also ordered the suspension of all officers involved in the incident, pending the conclusion of the investigation, saying government owes families of the deceased and Nigerians a transparent account of the events leading to the incident.
The committee is expected to establish the identities of the deceased, and investigate their arrests, detention and cause and circumstances of their deaths.
The minister directed the committee to determine responsibility, complicity, negligence and misconduct, and to recommend appropriate action, compensation, where applicable, and measures to prevent a recurrence.
He also directed the NSCDC leadership and all relevant officers to cooperate fully with the committee, and that all records and material evidence connected to the incident be preserved and made available to the investigators.
The minister, in a statement on Saturday, September 19, warned that “any attempt to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation will be treated as a serious offence.”
Members of the committee are Jonathan Kure, a retired deputy director general of Department of State Services (DSS), as Chairman; Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), a former director general of the Nigeria Law School, as Secretary; Hosea Hassan Karma, retired AIG; Olayinka Buhari, a Professor of Histopathology and former chief medical director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH); and a representative of the Minna Emirate Council.
Others include a representative of the Niger State Government; Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary, Miners Association of Nigeria; Deji Adeyanju, lawyer and human rights activist; Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and George Agbakahi, a public affairs analyst.
The committee may co-opt relevant experts, access all necessary facilities and documents, visit relevant locations and request memoranda from the public.It has two weeks to complete its work and submit its report to the minister.
The suspended officers, in addition to the Niger State Commandant of the Corps, are O/C Station Guard, Usman Isah Ndamaka; Station Guard, Hassan Mohammed; Station Guard, Bala Mohammed; Arresting Officer/O/C Investigation, Oluwadare Sunday; Arresting Officers, Obafemi Elvis and Annas Shitto Lamino; HOD, INT/INV, Philip Ajayi; O/C Legal, Stephen Tsado; Day/Night Duty Officer, Alhassan Mohammed; Guard Duty, Abdullahi Sale and Guard Duty, Mohammed Sonfada.
Others include Guard Duty, Liman Abubakar; Guard Duty, Bala Usman; Guard Duty, Mohammed Jiya; Guard Duty, Isah Suleiman; Guard Duty, Ahmed Wushishi; Guard Duty, IC Sale Adamu; Guard Duty, IC Haruna Mohammed; Guard Duty, Aliyu Sallah; and Guard Duty, Isah Sanusi.
The minister extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and appealled for calm while the investigation continues.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has demanded a thorough, independent, transparent and credible investigation.
NBA, in a statement by its President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), said: “On behalf of the Nigerian Bar Association, I extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and to the people and Government of Niger State.
“We mourn with them, and we share in the grief that has settled over Minna and the nation at large.
“We also wish those who survived this tragic incident a full recovery from what must have been a deeply traumatic experience.”
In a related development, former head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has denied ownership or any connection with the gold-mining site.
Babangida’s denial followed the claim by one of the survivors, Babawo Tudun Nasera, that the former military ruler owns the site.
Nasera, while recounting the arrest and death of his 17-year-old brother, Salim, who was among those detained by the NSCDC, said the miners were arrested at the site after authorities ordered them to stop working.
He said they continued working, because the owner of the site had instructed them to continue.
Asked who the owner was, Nasera reportedly: “It belongs to Babangida,” and confirmed that he was referring to the former military ruler, who lives in Minna.
However, Babangida, in a statement by an aide, Danladi Umar Abdulhameed, denied any involvement in the mining operation, describing the claim as “false, baseless and completely without foundation.”
Abdulhameed insisted that Babangida had “no connection whatsoever” with the mining operation, urging the public to disregard the allegation.
While expressing condolences to the bereaved families, IBB commended the Federal and Niger State Governments for instituting an inquiry into the incident to unravel the circumstances and actual causes of the deaths.
He urged residents, particularly youths and families of the deceased, to remain calm and allow the investigation to run its course, even as he called for a transparent investigation that would establish the facts surrounding the incident and provide answers to the affected families.
