Just days after 37 suspected illegal miners tragically died from a suspected disease outbreak while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), miners have returned to the M.I. Wushishi mining site in Minna, Niger State.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The original arrests occurred during NSCDC operations on September 15 and 16 near the Lt Gen Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate, which resulted in the suspension of Niger State NSCDC commandant, Suberu Aniviye, following the deaths. Despite the tragedy and the initial scare, a visit to the site on Saturday showed no security presence, with men, women, and underage workers returning to dig earth, fill sacks, and wash materials using a nearby stream.

Miners explained that economic necessity drove them back to the site. Salisu DanMallam, a 15-year veteran miner, noted that he stayed away on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the raids, but had to return because mining is his sole livelihood and missing work severely impacts his finances. While acknowledging the tragedy, DanMallam stated he had no direct blood ties to those who died and remained uncertain of the exact casualty figures.

Another miner, 26-year-old Buhari Rabiu, recounted fleeing the site after receiving a warning about approaching NSCDC officers. Rabiu made serious allegations against the security agency, claiming he was previously assaulted, injured, hospitalized for treatment, and forced to pay bail during a prior arrest, alongside other grievances involving clashes with operatives.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has taken three more personnel into custody, raising the total number of detained officers to 24 following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in its custody in Niger State.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a statement released on Sunday, NSCDC spokesperson Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi announced that all involved personnel from the Niger State command were transferred to the national headquarters in Abuja on September 17, 2026, for rigorous interrogation and disciplinary action. The suspended officers will also be made available to the Presidential Independent Investigation Committee (PIIC) and other investigative panels for potential prosecution.

Additionally, the corps ordered its flags to be flown at half-mast across all formations for three days starting Sunday to honor the deceased.

This development follows the Federal Government’s establishment of a 10-member independent investigative committee. Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced the committee on Saturday following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a transparent and unhindered probe into the September 17, 2026, incident, alongside an immediate suspension of the implicated officers.

Abdul’aziz Yari, the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (PCC-APC), has cautioned northerners against insisting that the presidency remain exclusively in the North. According to Yari, maintaining that leadership must continually come from the region could threaten the nation’s unity.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Bauchi Visit: Speaking on Sunday at the residence of the late Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi during a meeting with prominent Islamic scholars, Yari emphasized that rotating power between the North and South is key to managing Nigeria’s diversity.

• Jos Visit: Prior to the Bauchi meeting, the PCC delegation stopped in Jos, Plateau State, to pay a condolence visit to Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir following the death of the JIBWIS National Treasurer, as part of their ongoing national consultations.

Yari’s Stance on Power Rotation

Highlighting the importance of national cohesion, Yari stated that demanding power exclusively for the North fractures the country. He noted that when citizens remain united, leadership naturally emerges from various regions.

“When a President is elected from the North, another President should be elected from the South. That is the solution to our diversity,” Yari stated.

He ultimately urged Nigerians to back a leadership structure that fosters equity and equality across all parts of the country.