Public affairs analyst and transparency advocate, Bilal Galadima, has opposed calls for the immediate sack of the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Abubakar Audi, over the deaths of 37 miners in custody in Niger State.
The deaths sparked widespread unrest in the state, leading Governor Mohammed Bago to impose a curfew. The Federal Government subsequently suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and established an independent committee to investigate the incident.
Bago had also disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS) took statements from survivors who were discharged from hospital.
Reacting to calls by lawyer and human rights activist Hamza Dantani for Audi’s removal, Galadima described the demand as a distraction and urged Nigerians to allow the investigation to run its course.
“Instead of this distraction, I call on lawyer Dantani and all well-meaning Nigerians to allow the rule of law to take its full course as we await the outcome of the investigations into this unfortunate incident,” Galadima said.
