New questions are being raised about who actually ran the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) operation in Niger State that ended with 37 detainees dead. Sources say the Corps’ specialised Mining Marshals were left out of the September 15 and 16 raids.<\/p>\n
Sources within the Niger State Command told journalists that the operation around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas was carried out mostly by regular NSCDC personnel, even though a specialised unit exists and is trained for anti-illegal-mining work.<\/p>\n
That alleged exclusion stands out for one reason: the commander of the Mining Marshals, Commandant Jibrin Mohammed, had received a formal commendation just three weeks earlier. The then Niger State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, praised him in a restricted letter dated August 25, 2026. In it, Aniviye cited Mohammed’s “exceptional working relationship” with his personnel, his dedication, hard work, attention to detail and problem-solving skills, and his “positive attitude.” He said Mohammed’s efforts had contributed to the command’s successes.<\/p>\n
Yet sources allege that less than three weeks later, Mohammed and his unit played no part in the operation that led to the arrest and detention of dozens of suspected illegal miners, 37 of whom died in custody. The sources say Mohammed was not adequately briefed about the planned raid, the arrests or the detentions that followed.<\/p>\n
They blame internal disagreements. One source claimed Mohammed had become unpopular with some senior officers because of his uncompromising approach to illegal-mining enforcement: “He has become a pain in the neck of some highly placed senior officials because of his stand on illegal mining.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Mining Marshals are a specialised operational component of the NSCDC’s work against illegal mining and for the protection of Nigeria’s mineral resources.<\/p>\n
Muhammad S. Mabo, Director-General of the Niger State-owned Zuma Mineral Exploration and Mining Company, said that to his knowledge of the sector, they are the unit the Federal Government relies on for enforcement against illegal mining. He alleged the unit was sidelined during the Niger operation.<\/p>\n
“We are at a loss as to why the well-trained marshals were bypassed. I can say directly that they were not involved in the operation,” Mabo said.<\/p>\n
He noted that regular operatives and the Mining Marshals both answer to the Commandant-General, and questioned why the specialised personnel were allegedly left out. “We know them. Our people know them by their outfits and their professionalism. Nobody is mentioning the Marshals in this whole messy operation.”<\/p>\n
The alleged exclusion raises fresh questions about who planned the operation, who commanded it, which personnel were deployed, and why the specialised unit was allegedly left out.<\/p>\n
Sources familiar with the unit say the Mining Marshals operate from the former Niger State NSCDC headquarters along David Mark Road, where a holding facility and medical section were available. They question why that site was allegedly not used, claiming the suspects were instead taken to an NSCDC facility at the New Secretariat area in the Three Arms Zone.<\/p>\n
The detention arrangements are now under scrutiny after survivors described overcrowding, severe heat and difficulty breathing inside the cell. Some survivors also alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed inside the cell shortly before the deaths.<\/p>\n
Those claims remain subject to investigation. No definitive public finding on the cause of death has been established.<\/p>\n
The Federal Government has suspended Aniviye and 20 other officers pending investigations into the deaths. Authorities are examining the identities of the deceased, their arrests and detention, and the circumstances and cause of their deaths.<\/p>\n
The alleged sidelining of the Mining Marshals has not been established as a cause of the deaths. But it adds another question to the investigation: why was a specialised unit responsible for illegal-mining enforcement allegedly left out of an operation that ended with 37 deaths in NSCDC custody?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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