FG Gives Fresh Update as 10-Member Panel Probes Deaths of 37 NSCDC Detainees

• The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.

The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 people who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the constitution of the committee on Saturday, September 19, 2026, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the incident.

The 37 detainees died on Thursday, September 17, while being held by the NSCDC Niger State Command following their arrest over suspected illegal mining.

The circumstances and cause of the deaths have not been conclusively established, prompting authorities to launch investigations into what happened before and during their detention.

The government said the independent committee would establish the identities of the deceased and examine the circumstances surrounding their arrest, detention and deaths.

It will also investigate whether there was any responsibility, complicity, negligence or misconduct connected to the incident and make recommendations on appropriate action, including compensation where applicable.

The committee will be chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, while Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, will serve as secretary.

Other members include retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Hosea Hassan Karma; Professor Olayinka Buhari, a professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; a representative of the Minna Emirate Council; and a representative of the Niger State Government.

The panel also includes Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju; Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi.

According to the Federal Government, the committee will have the authority to co-opt relevant experts, access necessary facilities and documents, visit locations connected to the incident and receive memoranda from members of the public.

The committee has been given two weeks to complete its investigation and submit its report to the Minister of Interior.

Tunji-Ojo also warned against any attempt to interfere with the investigation, saying efforts to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the process would be treated as serious offences.

The development follows President Tinubu’s directive for a full investigation into the deaths. The President said the inquiry should cover the circumstances of the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they were taken into custody, the conditions under which they were held, medical attention provided to them and the events leading to their deaths.

The President also directed that where evidence establishes that an official contributed to the deaths through action, abuse or negligence, such an officer should be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The Federal Government has also suspended officers linked to the incident pending the outcome of the investigation. The suspension is an administrative measure and does not, by itself, establish criminal responsibility.

Tunji-Ojo expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and appealed for calm as the independent investigation gets underway.

The panel’s findings are expected to provide further information on the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine whether any officials or other parties should be held responsible.