From Dan Amasingha, Minna

At least 33 suspected illegal miners have died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, sparking protests by youths and demands from relatives for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The detainees were among scores of suspected illegal miners arrested during a “burst operation” conducted by the NSCDC Mining Marshals at M.

I. Wushishi/Lukoto Village on September 15 and 16.

The Niger State Command of the NSCDC confirmed that detainees died while in custody but said the deaths were linked to a suspected outbreak of disease.

The Corps said the remains had been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination to establish the actual cause of death.

However, survivors and relatives have given a different account, alleging that overcrowding and poor ventilation in the detention facility contributed to the deaths.

One survivor, Dauda Shehu, an indigene of Allawa in Shiroro Local Government Area, alleged that about 65 detainees were packed into a poorly ventilated cell.

“We were jam-packed; there was no ventilation for us to breathe well,” Shehu said.

He alleged that detainees struggled for air, banged on the cell door and repeatedly called for help as some began collapsing, but claimed their pleas were not answered.

Shehu also questioned the reported casualty figure, saying only six survivors were taken to the General Hospital.

Another survivor, who declined to be identified, alleged that some detainees died during the night while others died the following morning. He said those who survived were largely people near the entrance who were able to attract attention by screaming for help.

The survivors also disputed the suggestion that those arrested were armed criminals, with Shehu alleging that some of them had fled their communities because of bandit attacks and were engaged in mining to earn a living.

Relatives of the deceased have meanwhile demanded access to the bodies and called for independent autopsies.

Abdullahi, whose son Salim was among those arrested, said the family had repeatedly visited the NSCDC command to seek his release before learning of his death.

He alleged that relatives had been taking food to the detainees and that his son had eaten food supplied by the family on Wednesday, a day before they discovered that he had died.

“We need justice. They should release the corpses to us and we will seek for independent autopsy,” he said.

The allegations of suffocation, poisoning, tear-gassing or other forms of mistreatment have not been independently established.

In its statement, signed by the Niger State Commandant, Comdt. Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, the NSCDC said the operation led to the arrest of scores of suspected illegal miners and the recovery of various exhibits.

The Corps said it was working with sister security agencies to manage the situation and appealed to residents and relatives of the deceased to remain calm and refrain from actions capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.

The NSCDC also reaffirmed its commitment to human rights and international human rights charters in carrying out its statutory responsibilities.

The conflicting accounts have heightened concerns over the number of people detained, the conditions in which they were held, the timing and cause of the deaths, and whether those who became ill received adequate medical attention.

The identities of the deceased and details of the exhibits reportedly recovered during the operation had not been publicly released as of Thursday.

The situation remained tense in Minna, with youths reportedly protesting and relatives and other members of the public gathering at the General Hospital where the remains were deposited.

The cause of the deaths remains officially unestablished pending medical examination and further investigation.

The deceased were arrested as suspects and had not been convicted of any offence.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

An 80-year-old man identified as Ordue Ikye, has allegedly been beaten to death by a mob after he was accused of using witchcraft to cause the death of a younger relative in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.

He was attacked last Sunday at about 7pm at Tse-Ikye, Gbemacha Council Ward, Mbavior, Mbasar, following the death of Aker Aleva, a man in his late 30s.

A group known as Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), disclosed this in a petition written to the Benue State Commissioner of Police over the incident.

According to the group, late Aleva had reportedly gone out to watch football and complained of headache while returning home before collapsing

In the petition, addressed to the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) demanded for an indepth investigation into the alleged killing of an 80-year-old man, Ordue Ikye, following accusations of witchcraft.

In the petition signed by AfAW Director, Dr Leo Igwe, and made available to newsmen on Sunday, the group alleged that Ikye was beaten to death after being accused of causing the death of a younger relative, Aker

AfAW condemned the circumstances surrounding Ikye’s death and urged the police to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation to establish what happened, identify those responsible and prosecute anyone against whom sufficient evidence is established.

According to an account attributed to a son of the deceased, whose identity AfAW withheld for security reasons, Aleva, said to be in his 30s, had gone out to watch a football match before returning home and complaining of a headache.

He reportedly collapsed and was taken to a hospital in Ikpayongo, where he later died.

Following Aleva’s death, some members of the community allegedly accused Ikye, who was related to the deceased, of being responsible through witchcraft.

The witness alleged that when he returned home on Sunday evening, he heard people shouting and discovered a crowd confronting his father.

According to the petition, some members of the gathering allegedly questioned Ikye over Aleva’s death and demanded an explanation from him. Ikye reportedly denied responsibility.

AfAW alleged that the confrontation subsequently turned violent, with members of the crowd attacking the elderly man with sticks.

The witness said he was afraid to intervene because he feared he could also be attacked.

“After the beating stopped, I observed that my father was no longer alive,” the witness was quoted as saying.

The petition named several individuals whom the witness alleged were present or participated in events surrounding the attack. AfAW stressed the need for the police to investigate the allegations and determine individual responsibility.

In the petition, Ikye’s body was later taken to Ikpayongo and deposited in a mortuary.

The witness further alleged that a subsequent community meeting focused on Aleva’s death rather than the circumstances surrounding his father’s killing.

He also claimed that when he attempted to record the meeting, his phone was forcibly taken from him and photographs and videos were deleted.

AfAW said the deceased’s family had been reluctant to formally pursue the case because of alleged intimidation, fear of retaliation and financial constraints.

The organisation urged the Commissioner of Police to order a comprehensive investigation into Ikye’s death, question individuals allegedly connected with the incident and investigate claims concerning the seizure of the witness’s phone and deletion of recordings.

It also called on the police to preserve relevant evidence, including medical and mortuary records, photographs, videos and witness accounts.

AfAW further requested protection for the deceased’s family and other witnesses against possible intimidation or retaliation.

“Where the investigation establishes sufficient evidence of criminal responsibility, ensure that the persons responsible are prosecuted in accordance with Nigerian law,” the group said.

It also urged the police to take measures to prevent further violence arising from allegations of witchcraft in the community.

AfAW said it was prepared to cooperate with investigators and facilitate contact with the confidential witness under arrangements that would guarantee his safety.

“We trust that your office will treat this matter with urgency and take appropriate steps to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged murder, protect vulnerable witnesses and ensure that justice is served,” Igwe said.

As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Police Command had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the petition.

Over 50 PAP Post-graduate Scholarship Beneficiaries Depart For UK

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

A batch of fifty-four offshore post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme has departed Nigeria for the United Kingdom to resume studies in various universities.

The students took off from Abuja and arrived in London on Friday. They are among the150 beneficiaries that underwent a pre-departure orientation in August following their deployment by the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro.

The figure brings to 243 the total number of offshore post-graduate scholarships deployed this year by Dr Otuaro.

The scholars will major in programmes such as software engineering, cyber security, global public health, oil and gas engineering, law, fintech analytics, construction engineering management, forensic audit, data science analytics, among others.

Dr Otuaro had advised the students to take their studies seriously and be good ambassadors of Nigeria and the Niger Delta.

He also urged them to respect the laws of the country and also obey the rules and regulations of their respective institutions.

He stressed that they were expected to come back home after their programmes to add value to their communities and nation-building in the spirit of patriotism.

“Education is the vehicle for the socio-economic advancement and sustainable peace and stability of the Niger Delta.

“Investing in the education of the youths of the region is a sure way of guaranteeing a greater and better tomorrow for the region”, the PAP boss said.

He attributed the large-scale deployments to the unprecedented support of President Bola Tinubu for the programme under his Renewed hope Agenda.

He also thanked the Office of the National Security Adviser for the support and guidance.

He further praised stakeholders of the programme for their cooperation and encouragement.

Dr Otuaro said, “We express our profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his massive support for the programme. Without his strong backing, the huge deployments would not have been possible.

“We are also very grateful to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his efficient supervision, deep insights and professional input that have helped the programme.”

By David Torough, Abuja

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on illicit drugs, intercepting consignments of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine, cocaine and other psychotropic substances across several states and arresting suspected major traffickers.

The agency’s latest operations, which covered Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu, also uncovered sophisticated methods used by traffickers to conceal drugs, including a fuel tanker fitted with a false compartment, soap-laden vehicles and cartons of clothing and hand gloves.

The NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the seizures and arrests in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

In one of the biggest seizures, operatives intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker along the Akoko/Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State after the driver allegedly refused to stop. The driver later abandoned the vehicle at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fled into the bush.

A search of the tanker revealed a concealed compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg, hidden alongside its legitimate fuel cargo destined for Jos, Plateau State.

In Adamawa, NDLEA operatives recovered 864,000 opioid pills, particularly tramadol, from a residence linked to a fleeing suspect whose Honda Civic allegedly rammed an NDLEA patrol vehicle before he escaped.

Another suspected major supplier of methamphetamine from Lagos to the Mubi and Michika axis was arrested in Michika with 2kg of the substance.

The agency also reported the interception of a Ford Galaxy bus at Namtari checkpoint containing 750,027,530 pills of tramadol and other opioids concealed among soap products.

In Lagos, operatives recovered 2,386.9kg of cannabis, 350 grammes of cocaine, more than 100kg of assorted grades of tramadol, 9.7 litres of codeine syrup and 4kg of Rohypnol at Gbaji. Two other suspects were arrested in Agbara with 720kg of cannabis.

At the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg valued at more than N1.1 billion. The drugs were concealed among thrift trousers in a 22-carton consignment from Pakistan.

The agency also seized 57.8kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, valued at more than N173 million in street value. The consignment was hidden inside cartons of disposable hand gloves shipped from Singapore and had reportedly remained unclaimed for weeks before a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies.

At Tincan Port, Lagos, another 598.08kg, comprising 890 packets, of cannabis-laced cookies and gummies was intercepted in a 40-foot container. The seizure came barely a month after the arrest of three suspects over 842.54kg of similar cannabis-infused cookies.

The crackdown also led to the arrest of a 34-year-old convicted cocaine trafficker accused of masterminding shipments of cocaine to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The suspect was arrested in a sting operation at Article Market, opposite Trade Fair Market, in the Ojo area of Lagos on September 4 while allegedly posing as a herbal tea businessman.

His arrest followed the interception on July 31 of a 1.2kg cocaine consignment concealed in phone chargers and destined for Riyadh through a courier company in Lagos.

According to Babafemi, the suspect had previously been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in 2011 after ingesting 900 grammes of cocaine and 130 grammes of heroin in an attempt to travel to Austria. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison.

Investigators said he subsequently changed his name and allegedly returned to drug trafficking. A search of his residence in Ejigbo, Lagos, yielded phone chargers similar to those allegedly used in the intercepted cocaine shipment, with their internal components removed to create space for drugs.

Elsewhere, three suspects were arrested in Kogi with 636kg of cannabis concealed in chicken manure aboard a bus travelling from Owo, Ondo State, to Jos.

In Taraba, a 58-year-old suspect was arrested along the Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari with more than 109kg of assorted controlled drugs, including tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin. The drugs were allegedly being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State.

NDLEA operatives also intercepted a truck carrying bags of cement along the Zaria-Kano Expressway and recovered 1,179kg of skunk.

In Ekiti State, two suspects were arrested after operatives discovered and destroyed a four-hectare cannabis farm in Efon-Alaaye forest, recovering 117kg of already-harvested skunk.

In Enugu, a 20-year-old suspected drug peddler was arrested at Ugbema Junction with 40,590 capsules of tramadol.

The agency said its operations were complemented by its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign, with officers conducting awareness activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities across the country.

NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations, particularly personnel of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, the Lagos Command and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command.

He urged personnel to sustain the agency’s intelligence-led approach and warned traffickers that attempts to evade detection by adopting new identities or hiding behind legitimate businesses would not shield them from investigation and prosecution.