The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed Abdulhamid Kabara as the new Niger State Commandant, replacing Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, who was suspended following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody.
Kabara assumed duty on Saturday, September 19, 2026, as the security agency faces intense scrutiny over the incident in Minna and multiple investigations seek to establish how the detainees died.
The new commandant’s deployment follows a directive from NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Abubakar Audi after the Interior Ministry ordered a probe into the deaths. Aniviye had been directed to step aside and report to the NSCDC national headquarters in Abuja while the investigation proceeds.
Kabara’s arrival therefore marks an immediate change in the leadership of the state command at a time when authorities are under pressure to establish what happened to the detainees and determine whether any officials breached established procedures.
The NSCDC has said personnel found to have violated the law or professional standards will face appropriate administrative, disciplinary or criminal sanctions where applicable.
The new Niger State commandant inherits the command while the Federal Government, Niger State Government and security authorities investigate the deaths.
Kabara expressed sadness over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the families of the deceased and others affected by the incident.
His assumption of office followed the removal of Aniviye from the operational leadership of the command.
The leadership change is part of a wider response to the incident, which has generated public concern in Niger State and prompted authorities to take several immediate measures.
Key developments include:
- Abdulhamid Kabara has assumed duty as Niger State NSCDC Commandant.
- Suberu Siyaka Aniviye has been suspended pending investigation.
- Other NSCDC officers connected to the incident have also been suspended.
- The Federal Government has established an independent committee of inquiry.
- The police have begun their own investigation and secured the scene.
- Niger State authorities have initiated a separate inquiry.
The changes are intended to allow investigations to proceed without the suspended commandant continuing to oversee the state command.
The deaths followed an NSCDC operation against suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
The operation resulted in the arrest of scores of suspected illegal miners. Some of those detained were later found dead in the early hours of September 17. The NSCDC initially referred to a suspected disease outbreak but said medical examinations were required to determine the actual cause of death.
Niger State Governor Umaru Bago subsequently confirmed that 37 people died while in NSCDC custody.
The governor said forensic examinations, medical investigations and autopsies were being conducted to establish the scientific cause of the deaths.
That means claims about the precise cause of death remain unproven while the investigations and medical examinations continue.
What investigators are examining
Authorities are expected to establish:
- How the suspects were arrested and detained.
- The conditions in which they were held.
- What medical attention was available.
- The sequence of events before the deaths.
- The medical cause of death.
- Whether officers breached operational or detention procedures.
- Whether any individual or institution bears responsibility.
These questions have become central to the various investigations now underway.
The leadership change came as the Federal Government announced the suspension of 20 NSCDC officers in connection with the incident.
The Niger State Commandant was also suspended, bringing the number of affected NSCDC personnel to 21 when the commandant is included.
The Interior Ministry said the suspensions would remain in place pending the outcome of the investigation. The measure is administrative and does not itself establish criminal or disciplinary guilt.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier directed that the circumstances surrounding the deaths be investigated fully and transparently.
The Federal Government has also constituted a 10-member independent committee chaired by retired DSS Deputy Director-General Jonathan Kure.
Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, serves as secretary.
The federal panel has been given two weeks to complete its work and submit its report to the Minister of Interior.
Its mandate includes identifying the deceased, examining their arrest and detention, establishing the circumstances and causes of death, and determining whether negligence, misconduct or other responsibility occurred.
The committee can also access relevant documents and facilities, visit locations connected to the incident and receive memoranda from members of the public.
The Federal Government has directed relevant agencies and NSCDC personnel to preserve records and material evidence that could assist investigators.
This makes the preservation of detention records, medical evidence and other relevant materials an important part of the next phase of the inquiry.
The Nigeria Police Force has also opened an investigation into the deaths.
Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu visited Niger State and assured Governor Umaru Bago that the police would work with the NSCDC and state government to establish what happened.
Disu said deaths occurring in custody constitute a serious matter within the police’s investigative jurisdiction. He added that officers had secured the scene to prevent evidence from being disturbed or removed.
The Niger State Government has also taken steps of its own. Governor Bago said the state had suspended mining activities across Niger pending the outcome of investigations.
The federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has separately deployed a team of experts to investigate the incident and prepare a report.
The deaths have also triggered protests and unrest in Minna.
Authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew in the state capital following the unrest, while Governor Bago appealed for calm as investigations continued.
The incident has attracted calls from civil society organisations for an independent and transparent investigation, with the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) stressing that allegations of illegal mining do not remove the obligation of the state to protect people in custody.
The Northern Senators Forum has likewise called for a transparent investigation and urged authorities to examine detention conditions more broadly.
Kabara’s appointment gives the NSCDC a new operational leadership in Niger State while the command faces scrutiny over the deaths.
His immediate responsibility will include maintaining the command’s operations and ensuring that personnel continue to carry out their duties within established laws and professional standards.
However, the new commandant’s deployment does not determine responsibility for the deaths. That question remains with the ongoing investigations.
The eventual findings will be important in determining whether disciplinary or criminal action is warranted and whether changes are required in the way detainees are handled during enforcement operations.
For now, the arrival of Kabara represents a change in command, while the central questions surrounding the 37 deaths remain unresolved.
The outcome of the federal, state and police investigations will determine what happened in NSCDC custody and whether any officials should face further sanctions.
