NSCDC suspends three employees after deaths in custody — Premium Times Nigeria
In Nigeria, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has suspended three more employees after the deaths of at least 30 detainees suspected of illegal mining. They were held in NSCDC custody in Niger State. The agency also ordered flags to be flown at half-mast for three days as a sign of mourning.
New suspensions
NSCDC spokesperson Babawale Afolabi announced the decision on Sunday in Abuja, Premium Times Nigeria reports. Earlier, 21 NSCDC employees were suspended from duty following the detainees' deaths and summoned to the corps headquarters in Abuja.
NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Audi said the suspensions and the three-day mourning period were intended to demonstrate the institution's grief and its rejection of the incident. According to him, this is also meant to demonstrate the leadership's determination to rid the system of dishonest employees.
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Investigation into the detainees' deaths
Audi said that all employees detained in connection with the case would be handed over to the presidential independent investigative committee and other investigative teams for further investigation and possible prosecution. Nigeria's Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, also established an independent committee of ten people to determine the circumstances of the victims' deaths.
The head of the NSCDC stressed that the service does not tolerate unprofessional conduct, abuse of power, or actions that violate citizens' fundamental rights. He promised to keep the public informed about the investigation's results and stated the leadership's commitment to transparency, human rights protection, and professional ethics.
