Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has imposed a 24-hour curfew in Minna, the state capital.
Governor Bago announced the curfew on Friday, September 18, immediately after Jummat prayers, following violent protests, vandalism and destruction of property in the town.
Bago said this when he received Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in a condolence visit over the deaths of 37 artisanal miners in the custody of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The governor said the curfew which begins on Friday is between 6pm and 6am to checkmate attacks on public and private assets by protesters., and security agencies have been deployed to Gov restore calm.
He said the deceased miners were between the ages of 14 and 18 years.
“We don’t know the real causes of this but they could be just two. The first one, from the report we have is that 67 people were arrested and were detained in the Civil Defence cell at their office. And some of the people that survived have claimed that it was suffocation and dehydration. On the surface, the forensic revealed from hospital and mortuary indicated that some of the corpses have foams in their mouths with blood stains and also part of their skins were peeling,. So, we cannot rule out of mathene, or swanine or lead poisoning.
“However, there is need for proper investigation on the root cause of this. We want to thank you for immediately suspending the state Commandant who gave the order for these arrests and detained people for more than 24 hours in the cell and in that number. That was callous and reckless. The officers that were on duty said they heard screaming from the people in the cell calling for help, but they kept deaf ears to those pleas and we woke up to a very sad thing”, he said.
The unrest was triggered by the death of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The suspects were arrested on September 15 and 16 around M.I Wushishi and Lukoto axis of Minna during an anti-illegal mining operation.
The Federal Government has ordered investigation, suspended the Niger State Commandant of NSCDC, Subaru Siyaka Aniviye, and the state government has set up a committee chaired by Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba to establish the cause of death.
Earlier before announcing the imposition of the curfew, a meeting was held between the Niger State governor and the Interior Minister, with the NSCDC Commandant General, Comptroller General.of the Nigerian Immigration among other stakeholders in attendance.
-9News Nigeria.
