COCSTA rejects calls to sack NSCDC boss Ahmed Audi over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State.
The Coalition of Civil Societies for Transparency and Accountability (COCSTA) has rejected calls to sack NSCDC Commandant-General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi. The call followed the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in custody in Minna, Niger State. COCSTA described the demand as misguided and premature. The group urged Nigerians to await the outcome of ongoing investigations.
In a statement issued in Abuja, COCSTA National Coordinator, Bilal Galadima, sympathised with the victims’ families. He said anyone found responsible should face the law. According to the group, NSCDC officers arrested more than 50 suspects on September 15 and 16. The arrests took place around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Housing Estate in Minna. Profiling and documentation were still ongoing before the deaths.
COCSTA claimed the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, did not inform Audi about the arrests. Therefore, the group said blaming the Commandant-General now would be premature. The Federal Government has already suspended Aniviye and set up a 10-member investigative committee.
“Whoever is found culpable should face the full wrath of the law,” COCSTA said.
The group also urged government agencies to allow the probe to run its course.
Meanwhile, COCSTA questioned calls for Audi’s removal over the incident. The coalition cited previous civilian deaths linked to security operations and the 2020 #EndSARS protests. It also mentioned the December 2023 Tudun Biri airstrike in Kaduna State.
COCSTA said investigators must first establish the exact chain of responsibility. The group wants authorities to determine how the 37 people died. It also wants any negligence or misconduct properly established before sanctions follow.
