The Niger State Police Command has commenced investigation into the deaths of suspected illegal miners who reportedly died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.

The Commissioner of Police, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, ordered the investigation following the incident which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, September 17, 2026.

According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, persons arrested over alleged illegal mining were found dead while in detention at the NSCDC Niger State Command.

The Commissioner directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Minna, to take charge of the investigation and establish the circumstances surrounding the death.
The command urged family members, relatives and members of the public with credible information that could assist the investigation to come forward and provide such information to the SCID, Minna.

Elleman also appealed for calm and urged residents, relatives and acquaintances of the deceased to remain law-abiding and cooperate with the investigation.

He assured the public that the command would thoroughly investigate the incident to determine the cause of the deaths.

The Commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to upholding human rights and ensuring accountability in the discharge of statutory responsibilities by law enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, following reports of the deaths of suspected illegal miners in Minna, the Niger State capital.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the suspension on Friday, September 18, 2026, and directed that a full investigation be conducted to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

According to a statement issued by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, the reported deaths occurred in the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna in the early hours of Thursday.

The Federal Government said the circumstances surrounding the deaths would be investigated, with the Niger State NSCDC Commandant remaining suspended pending the outcome of the process.

“It is an unfortunate incident; however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” the minister said.

Tunji-Ojo reaffirmed the Federal Government’s position that the protection of lives remains a priority, stressing that the investigation would be allowed to proceed.

“We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this,” he added.

The minister appealed to members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding while the investigation is conducted, noting the importance of allowing the process to take place transparently.

He also expressed condolences to the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, as well as the families and relatives of those who reportedly died in the incident.

Three boat drivers desperate to leave Nigeria in search of better economic opportunities in Germany ended inside the cramped propeller compartment of a merchant vessel, where they were intercepted by the Nigerian Navy.

The three suspects, Isaiah Oyetayo, 30; Goddey Ajinde Samson, 26; and Popoola Felix, 28, were arrested after allegedly sneaking aboard the MV Maersk Calabar at Apapa Port and hiding inside its propeller compartment.

Report says The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft on Wednesday, handed them over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for further investigation.

The suspects reportedly used a canoe to gain access to the vessel while it was at the port before concealing themselves in the propeller compartment. Their presence was discovered after the ship got underway, prompting the intervention of NNS Beecroft.

According to the Navy, the suspects were intercepted following a tip-off from the Western Regional Control Centre. The ship’s Quick Reaction Team stationed at Tarkwa Bay moved in, intercepted the vessel and safely extracted the men from the compartment.

They were subsequently taken to NNS Beecroft for preliminary investigation and profiling before being handed over to the NIS.

For Popoola, a boat driver and father of four, the decision to risk his life aboard a moving merchant vessel was driven by what he described as the struggle to survive in Nigeria.

He said he was heading to Germany in search of better economic opportunities, explaining that the rising cost of living had made it increasingly difficult to provide for his family.

According to him, his desperation pushed him to consider unconventional means of leaving the country, including using a paddle boat to gain access to the merchant vessel.

Goddey, also a boat driver and married, said he took the risk because he hoped to secure a better future for himself and his family.

He said the desire for improved living conditions persuaded him to embark on the dangerous journey, despite the risks involved in hiding aboard a vessel at sea.

Oyetayo, another boat driver, similarly said his decision was driven by the search for a better life and greater economic opportunities abroad.

The Navy said the incident underscored the dangers associated with unauthorised access to seagoing vessels, warning that such acts could endanger not only those attempting illegal migration but also vessels, crews and other maritime users.

The handover, carried out on behalf of the Commander, NNS Beecroft, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, by the Executive Officer, Captain Olanrewaju Olubunmi, also highlighted continued collaboration among security agencies in tackling illegal migration and strengthening maritime security.

The Navy urged parents, guardians and other authority figures to discourage youths from undertaking dangerous journeys by sea and to sensitise them to the potentially fatal consequences.

It warned that the risks posed by such activities could extend beyond individual migrants to maritime safety and security across the West African sub-region.

Hard times await street beggars and urchins in Lagos following plan by the Lagos government to criminalise their activities, with proposed sanctions, including fines of up to N200,000 and imprisonment of up to two years.

A bill to the effect is presently before the Lagos State House of Assembly and it is expected to be passed into law.

The proposed legislation, however, combines the planned crackdown with rehabilitation and welfare programmes aimed at addressing the social and economic conditions that drive people, particularly children and vulnerable youths, to the streets.

The bill, titled the Street Begging and Street Urchins (Prohibition, Prevention and Rehabilitation) Law of Lagos State 2026, was presented to legal practitioners, civil society organisations and members of the public at a public hearing held on Tuesday at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.

The public hearing, chaired by the chairman of the House Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development, Abiodun Orekoya, is part of the legislative process before the bill proceeds to further consideration by the House.

The proposed law seeks to prohibit street begging and activities associated with street urchins in public places, including motor parks, traffic intersections, pedestrian bridges and open markets.

Orekoya said the legislation was designed to promote public order, safety and environmental sanitation, while also strengthening child protection measures.

Under the proposed law, activities such as loitering, sleeping, assembling or erecting temporary structures for the purpose of begging would constitute offences.

People who engage in, procure, aid or abet begging would also be liable to prosecution.

The bill specifically targets parents and guardians who send children onto the streets to solicit alms, with such actions potentially attracting prosecution under the proposed law and existing child-rights legislation.

The proposed sanctions are structured in three stages.

A first-time offender may receive a formal warning and be referred to a state-run rehabilitation centre. A subsequent violation could attract a fine of up to N200,000, a non-custodial sentence of not more than three months, or both.

For more serious or repeated offences, the bill proposes imprisonment of up to two years upon conviction by a Lagos State High Court or Magistrate Court.

The legislation also proposes giving the Environmental Sanitation Corps Agency broad enforcement powers, including the arrest of suspected offenders without a warrant and the seizure of property connected to the alleged offence.

Enforcement officers would be required to profile those arrested before transferring them to the Nigeria Police Force or appropriate local neighbourhood security units.

However, the proposed enforcement powers have raised concerns among some participants at the hearing, particularly over the possibility of arbitrary arrests and the treatment of vulnerable people during enforcement operations.

The bill attempts to address such concerns by expressly prohibiting enforcement officers from subjecting detainees to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or unlawful detention, in line with the fundamental rights provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

Beyond enforcement, the proposed legislation places emphasis on rehabilitation.

It mandates the Ministry of Youth and Social Development to establish dedicated Rehabilitation and Welfare Centres where people removed from the streets would receive temporary accommodation, basic literacy education, psychological counselling and vocational and life-skills training.

The stated objective is to help beneficiaries acquire skills and support needed for eventual reintegration into society rather than simply removing them from public spaces.

At the public hearing, however, human rights advocates and legal scholars urged caution, particularly regarding warrantless arrests and the broad enforcement powers proposed under the bill.

They also raised questions about how the legislation would balance the need to regulate public spaces with the rights and dignity of people living in vulnerable circumstances.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, said the views gathered from members of the public and stakeholders would be considered before the bill is finalised.

She said the feedback would help shape the legislation before it proceeds to third reading and, if passed by the Assembly, is presented to the Lagos State Governor for assent.