The Federal Government has suspended 20 officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and established a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 detainees in Niger State.
The victims died while being held by the NSCDC after operations targeting suspected illegal mining around the M.I. Wushishi–Lukoto area of Minna.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced the measures on Saturday, 19 September, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation.
Committee given two weeks
According to a statement issued by the Interior Minister, the committee must establish the identities of those who died and examine their arrests, detention conditions and treatment while in custody.
It will also investigate the cause and circumstances of the deaths and determine whether negligence, misconduct, complicity or other failures contributed to the incident.
The panel has two weeks to complete its investigation and submit its report to the minister.
Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, will chair the committee. Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, will serve as secretary.
Other members include medical and security experts, representatives of the Niger State Government and Minna Emirate Council, and representatives from the Miners Association of Nigeria, civil society and the media.
Officers suspended pending investigation
The 20 officers were suspended pending the conclusion of the inquiry. The Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, had previously been suspended over the incident.
The suspensions are administrative measures and do not establish the guilt of any officer.
The committee has been directed to identify any responsibility for the deaths and recommend disciplinary or legal action where necessary. It may also recommend compensation and measures to prevent a similar incident.
Tunji-Ojo ordered the NSCDC leadership and other relevant officials to cooperate fully with the investigation. He also directed that records and material evidence connected to the case be preserved.
The minister warned that any attempt to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation would be treated as a serious offence.
Cause of deaths remains unconfirmed
The detainees were arrested during NSCDC operations conducted on 15 and 16 September over suspected illegal mining. They were found dead in custody on 17 September.
The NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak and said the bodies had been taken to hospital for examination.
Survivors have disputed that account, alleging that the detainees were held in an overcrowded and poorly ventilated cell where some struggled to breathe. The cause of death has not been independently established.
The committee will need to examine medical evidence, detention records, witness accounts and the conduct of the officers responsible for the facility before reaching its conclusions.
Deaths trigger protests in Minna
The incident prompted protests in Minna as families, residents and activists demanded answers. Reuters reported that security forces confronted protesters, while the Niger State Government imposed a curfew following unrest in the city.
President Tinubu directed that any official found to have contributed to the deaths through abuse, negligence or other wrongdoing should face prosecution.
The government has said no person found responsible will be protected. However, individual responsibility must be established through credible evidence and a transparent investigative process.
Trivane View: The investigation must establish exactly how 37 people died while in government custody. Being arrested over suspected illegal mining does not remove anyone’s right to life, due process or humane treatment. The government’s response will be judged by whether the inquiry produces clear findings and accountability where the evidence supports it.
