A planned political campaign flag-off in Niger State has been put on hold following the deaths of 37 youths in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago declaring three days of mourning for the victims.
The Governor cancelled indefinitely the All Progressives Congress (APC) re-election campaign flag-off earlier scheduled for Saturday, saying the event would be inappropriate at a time families were grieving over the deaths of their loved ones.
Bago, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, commiserated with the families of the victims and directed that the three-day mourning period be observed in their honour.
The deaths have also triggered an investigation by the Niger State Police Command into the circumstances surrounding the incident, which reportedly involved persons detained by the NSCDC over alleged illegal mining activities.
The victims were reportedly being held at an NSCDC facility in Minna when they died. The circumstances leading to the deaths remain subject to investigation.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Wasiu A. Abiodun, said the Commissioner of Police, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, had ordered an immediate investigation to establish what happened to the detainees.
According to Abiodun, the police investigation will be led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Minna.
The police said the investigation was intended to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths and establish whether any individual or institution bore responsibility.
While the development has left families and relatives seeking answers, the Commissioner appealed for calm and urged anyone with credible information capable of assisting the investigation to come forward.
Elleman also cautioned family members, acquaintances and members of the public against actions that could trigger a breakdown of law and order.
He assured the public that the police would pursue all relevant leads and take appropriate action against anyone found to have contributed to the deaths through negligence, compromise or other wrongdoing.
The Governor’s decision to suspend the campaign has consequently shifted attention from the state’s political activities to the families now awaiting answers over how their relatives died while in custody.
As investigations commence, the identities of the victims, the precise cause of their deaths and the circumstances inside the NSCDC facility are expected to form part of the issues authorities will seek to establish.
