A survivor of the deaths of suspected miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, Abdulsalam Yakubu, has accused operatives of the corps of taking two bottles of mined gold and N1.35 million from him during his arrest.
Yakubu made the allegations while testifying before the Justice Mohammed Mohammed Judicial Commission of Inquiry in Minna.
He also disputed the officially reported death toll, claiming that 48 people died in custody rather than the 37 initially reported.
The survivor told the commission that the missing items were in his bag when NSCDC operatives arrested him at a mining site in the Lokoto area of Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State.
He said the gold and money were taken during the operation and had not been returned to him.
Yakubu further alleged that his working tools and other personal belongings remained with the authorities.
He appealed for the return of his property, which he said was important to his efforts to earn a living.
His testimony has added another dimension to the investigation into the deaths, which have raised serious concerns about the treatment of detainees and the circumstances surrounding their deaths in NSCDC custody.
The commission is examining accounts from survivors and other relevant parties to establish what happened before, during and after the arrests.
The allegations made by Yakubu are claims presented to the inquiry and will require examination alongside other evidence.
Explaining his circumstances, Yakubu said he was among the residents who fled Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area after repeated attacks by armed bandits forced them to abandon their homes.
He said displacement left him and his family struggling to survive, with mining becoming one of the few available ways to generate income.
According to him, the money earned from the activity helped him provide for his elderly parents, who are also living in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp.
Yakubu said the security challenges in his community had disrupted normal life and deprived residents of their means of livelihood.
He explained that his decision to engage in mining followed the loss of his former living conditions and the need to support his family.
Despite his arrest and the deaths recorded among the detainees, he maintained that he had little choice but to continue searching for income through mining.
According to him, “We are still going to the mining site because we have no other means of livelihood. We turned to mining because we were displaced from our community in Allawa by armed bandits,” he told the commission.
However, his most serious claim before the commission concerned the number of detainees who died while in custody.
Yakubu said he was surprised when reports emerged that 37 people had died, insisting that the number of fatalities he was aware of was higher.
He explained, “I am aware that we lost 48 persons in custody, not 37 as reported. I am even surprised to hear that 37 people died in custody.
The discrepancy between his account and the reported figure raises questions that the commission may need to address through survivor testimonies, detention records and other available evidence.
His statement does not, on its own, establish that 48 people died, and the figure remains an allegation requiring independent verification.
The incident occurred in September 2026, when suspected illegal miners arrested during an enforcement operation were held at the NSCDC Niger State Command facility in Minna.
Politics Nigeria earlier reported that the NCDC Authorities initially said that 37 detainees had died while in custody, prompting public concern and calls for a transparent investigation.
The Federal Government subsequently established an independent investigative committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced the suspension of the Niger State commandant and other officers connected to the operation pending the outcome of the investigation.
The move followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive inquiry into the incident.
The deaths also prompted a separate investigation by the Justice Mohammed Mohammed Commission of Inquiry in Niger State, where survivors and officials have been called upon to provide accounts of the events.
During proceedings reported earlier in October, suspended Niger State NSCDC Commandant Suberu Aniviye acknowledged that the incident could have been prevented and apologised to the bereaved families.
Testimony before the commission also indicated that the corps’ legal officer had advised that minors arrested during the operation should be released to their parents on bail.
The circumstances surrounding the detention of minors have added to concerns about how the operation was conducted and whether appropriate procedures were followed when suspects were taken into custody.
More recent findings by the Federal Government’s investigative committee have pointed to severe overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, heat stress and dehydration as factors responsible for the deaths.
The committee’s findings, reported on October 27, also raised questions about detention conditions and the response to distress among those held in the facility.
