Breaking: NSCDC launches probe as 30 suspected illegal miners die in Commands custody in Niger

By Zagazola Makama

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has ordered an investigation into the deaths of several suspected illegal miners arrested during an enforcement operation in Niger State.

The suspects were apprehended on Sept. 15 and 16, 2026, during a joint operation targeting illegal mining activities around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of the state.

The NSCDC Niger State Command initially reported that scores of detainees were found dead in the early hours of Sept. 17 following what was described as a suspected disease outbreak.

The remains have since been evacuated to the General Hospital, Minna, where medical examinations are expected to determine the actual cause of death.

The development has generated concern among relatives of some of the detainees, with family members alleging that more than 30 people died while in custody.

However, the NSCDC has cautioned against attributing the deaths to any particular disease before medical and laboratory examinations are concluded.

In a statement issued by the Corps’ National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant of Corps Babawale Afolabi, the Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, directed the immediate constitution of a high-powered investigative team.

The team, headed by the Deputy Commandant General responsible for Intelligence and Investigation, is expected to establish what happened before and after the suspects were taken into custody.

Investigators are to examine the physical condition of the detainees at the point of arrest, the duration of their detention, conditions inside the facility, medical care provided to them and other circumstances that could have contributed to the deaths.

The Corps said it was also working with health authorities and other security agencies to implement appropriate medical and public-health measures.

It further directed that the health and welfare of suspects still in custody be given immediate priority, while personnel who may have come into contact with the affected detainees are also protected.

The NSCDC said the incident would be addressed strictly on the basis of verified medical and investigative findings.

The Corps also reiterated that its campaign against illegal mining would continue, stressing that the enforcement of the law must be carried out alongside respect for the dignity and fundamental rights of persons in custody.

The Commandant General expressed condolences to the families of those who died and assured them that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be thoroughly investigated.

The Corps appealed to the public to remain calm while the medical and investigative processes are concluded, promising to release further information as verified facts become available.

The incident has meanwhile raised questions about the health status and detention conditions of the arrested miners, with the pending medical examination expected to provide critical answers on what caused the deaths.

Breaking: NSCDC launches probe as 30 suspected illegal miners die in Commands custody in Niger

Police disbursed over ₦8 million to families of deceased officers in Yobe

By: Yahaya Wakili

The Yobe state police have disbursed the sum of ₦8,075,586.30 in Group Life Assurance to 10 families and beneficiaries of deceased police officers from the command.

Presenting the cheques to the families and beneficiaries at the command’s headquarters in Damaturu, the state capital, the Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Kanfani Jibrin, psc, mspsp, sm, icm, said the scheme aimed to provide financial support to families of officers who are no longer with the force.

“No financial benefit can replace the loss of a loved one; the Group Life Assurance Scheme provides a measure of assistance to families at a particularly difficult period,” CP Jibrin said.

CP Usman Kanfani appreciated the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, PSC, NPM, for his continued commitment to the welfare of police personnel and their families.

According to CP Usman, such initiatives demonstrate the force’s recognition of the sacrifices made by the officers; he urged the beneficiaries to utilize the funds judiciously, particularly towards their welfare, education, and the future well-being of their children and dependents.

The commissioner further assured the serving personnel that the force remains committed to improving their welfare and working conditions; he tasked officers and men to remain dedicated to their duties and uphold the core values of discipline, professionalism, integrity, and service to humanity.

“The command remains committed to supporting the families of its fallen and deceased colleagues and ensuring that their sacrifices and contributions to policing and public safety are duly recognized,” CP Jibrin added.

A representative, speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed profound appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, and all officers and personnel of the Yobe State Police Command for their support, compassion, and concern for the families of the deceased officers.

Police disbursed over ₦8 million to families of deceased officers in Yobe

2027: Invest in Peace Daily or Risk Democracy, IPCR DG Warns

…Insists Without Peace, No Food Security, No Investment, No Future

By: Michael Mike

In a stark warning ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, on Monday declared that Nigeria must stop treating peace as a seasonal intervention and start funding it like roads and power.

Speaking at the IPCR Conference Hall, Abuja, during the Institute’s 2026 International Day of Peace Commemoration Lecture, Ochogwu said the country’s democratic stability and development prospects now depend on deliberate, daily investment in peace, justice, fairness and inclusion.

The lecture coincided with the global observance of the International Day of Peace, marked annually on September 21 in accordance with a United Nations General Assembly resolution, under the 2026 UN theme “Investing in Peace for Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”

Ochogwu said the theme marks a critical shift from viewing peace merely as the absence of war to recognising it as a continuous investment essential to national survival.

He domesticated the theme for Nigeria as “Renewed Hope Agenda: Investing in Peace for Democratic Stability – Everyday Pathways to Justice and Inclusion Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections.”

According to him, the ballot alone will not guarantee credible polls. What happens between now and 2027 – in communities, on social media, in markets and in local government councils – will determine whether the elections are peaceful, credible and inclusive.

Ochogwu listed Nigeria’s interconnected fault lines that must be addressed urgently, including violent extremism, farmer-herder conflicts, banditry, youth restiveness, communal tensions, climate-induced competition for resources and misinformation.

He added to the list, grievances among youths and women, hate speech, weak access to justice at community level, and exclusion from the Nigerian project.

In his bluntest message, the IPCR boss warned of the economic cost of failure: “Without peace, we cannot have food security. Without peace, we cannot have quality education, healthcare, or attract investment,” he stated, noting that the absence of peace undermines development by disrupting livelihoods, weakening institutions and discouraging investment.

His prescription: treat peace infrastructure like physical infrastructure. “Every naira, every hour, every platform invested in dialogue is an investment in Nigeria’s survival,” he declared.

Ochogwu disclosed that IPCR has intensified election-related conflict prevention and will activate its national conflict telephony system to monitor and report incidents of electoral and political violence ahead of the 2027 elections, with reports to be escalated to relevant stakeholders for early intervention.

The Institute is also coordinating the National Conflict Early Warning and Early Response Platform, which connects state-level platforms to improve conflict monitoring and response.

Other measures include dialogues with political actors and traditional institutions, engagement with women and youth networks across the six geopolitical zones, and policy briefs on electoral violence mitigation.

Ochogwu, however warned that government alone cannot deliver peaceful elections. He called for a collective compact involving the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, the National Assembly, the private sector, traditional and religious leaders, civil society, the media and international development partners.

He urged the National Assembly to strengthen legislation supporting social cohesion, security agencies to deepen non-kinetic, community-centred approaches, businesses to treat peace as a business imperative, and the media to invest in peace journalism to counter hate speech and misinformation.

He charged Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to “Speak peace. Share peace. Fund peace. Teach peace.”

Also speaking, Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, said his administration has deliberately invested in Yobe’s peace architecture by strengthening early warning and response mechanisms, building residents’ capacity in conflict management, advancing peace education and dialogue, and deploying technology to counter information disorder.

Buni, represented by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brig. Gen. Dahiru Abdulsalam (rtd), said the interventions were targeted at “conflict entrepreneurs” who profit from instability, and reaffirmed Yobe’s alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on durable peace, improved security and inclusive growth.

2027: Invest in Peace Daily or Risk Democracy, IPCR DG Warns