Odita Sunday 
By Odita Sunday
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has visited Niger State and pledged that the Nigeria Police Force will get to the bottom of the deaths of 37 artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Disu, who visited the state on Friday, said he was in Niger not only to condole with the state government but also to visit the scene of the incident and lead efforts to establish what happened to the miners.
The IGP made the commitment at the Niger State Government House, Minna, during a condolence visit to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
Describing the deaths as tragic, Disu said the police would work with the NSCDC and committees of inquiry set up by the state government to establish the circumstances that led to the deaths.
He said cases involving deaths in custody were serious matters that fell within the responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force, regardless of where they occurred, making it necessary for the Force to respond.
The IGP assured residents that the police would leave no stone unturned in the investigation and urged them to remain calm and law-abiding while the process continued.
Governor Bago thanked Disu and his team for coming to the state and supporting efforts to establish what happened to the deceased miners while maintaining peace and order.
The governor said the state had suspended all political activities in honour of the victims and was working with the Association of Miners of Niger State and the Ministry of Mineral Resources to identify those who died so that government could visit and commiserate with their families.
In another major response to the incident, Bago disclosed that the state government had temporarily suspended all mining activities across Niger State pending the outcome of investigations.
He said the suspension was also in line with his administration’s approach to responsible mining, which, he explained, requires the government to have a proper register of people engaged in mining and organise them into cooperatives through which they can be identified and monitored.
Bago also commended federal agencies and other government establishments that had commenced investigations into the deaths and assured them of the state government’s support.
He appealed to politicians not to politicise the incident, urging them instead to come together in the interest of the state and the families affected by the deaths.
The visit comes as authorities continue efforts to establish the cause and circumstances of the deaths. The NSCDC had earlier said the remains of the deceased were deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination, while cautioning against speculation over the cause of death pending medical and laboratory confirmation.
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