The suspended Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, has apologised to the families of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the agency’s custody, as an inquiry continues into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Aniviye reportedly tendered the apology while testifying before a panel of inquiry in Minna, the Niger State capital. According to TheCable, citing the Nigerian Television Authority, he appealed to the bereaved families for forgiveness and described the incident as a costly mistake that could have been avoided.

The suspended commandant told the panel, chaired by Justice Mohammed Mohammed, that the operation began after residents around the M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate complained about mining activities in their communities.

He said he visited the location on September 15 before deploying mining marshals, who arrested the suspected illegal miners the following evening. Aniviye told the inquiry that he learnt of the deaths through a telephone call on September 17.

According to his testimony, he returned to the command’s office and found the bodies on the floor of a detention cell. He said he subsequently informed Niger State Governor Umaru Bago, who directed that the bodies be taken to a mortuary. He also said he contacted the state commissioner of police and the director of the Department of State Services.

Aniviye further told the panel that the suspects had been scheduled to appear in court on September 17 before their deaths. The inquiry is expected to examine the events leading to the deaths and the actions of personnel involved in the operation.

Other witnesses who testified included Stephen Tsado, the NSCDC’s state legal officer, and Maryam Etang, a nurse attached to the command’s medical unit. Following the sitting, the panel members visited the mortuary at Minna General Hospital, where the bodies were being kept. The panel chairman said three of the bodies remained unclaimed as of the time reported.

The deaths followed the arrest of 37 suspected illegal miners in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto villages in September. The Federal Government subsequently suspended Aniviye and ordered an investigation, while also establishing a 10-member independent committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

During a visit to Minna on October 5, Vice-President Kashim Shettima announced a Federal Government donation of ₦250 million to the victims’ families. The investigation remains important in establishing how the deaths occurred and whether any individuals or institutions bear responsibility.