By Peter Emmanuel |
The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the reported deaths of 37 people in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command, over alleged illegal mining.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, constituted the committee following a directive by Bola Tinubu for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation into the incident, which occurred on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
Tunji-Ojo also ordered the suspension of all officers involved in the incident pending the conclusion of the investigation, with the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC and 20 other officers affected by the directive.
The Minister, who described the reported deaths as deeply disturbing, said the government owed the families of the deceased and the Nigerian public a transparent account of the events that led to the incident.
The development was contained in a statement issued by the Minister on Saturday, September 19, 2026, in which he outlined the composition and terms of reference of the independent committee.
The committee has been given two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report to the Minister.
FG Constitutes Committee to Establish Circumstances of Deaths
The committee is chaired by Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, while Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, a former Director-General of the Nigeria Law School, will serve as secretary.
Other members are retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Professor Olayinka Buhari, Professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and the Niger State Government.
The committee also includes Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju; Blueprint Newspaper journalist Zainab Suleiman Okino; and Public Affairs Analyst, Dr George Agbakahi.
According to the Minister, the committee will establish the identities of the deceased and investigate the circumstances surrounding their arrests, detention and deaths.
It will also determine responsibility, complicity, negligence and misconduct in connection with the incident and recommend appropriate action, including compensation where applicable.
The committee has been authorised to co-opt relevant experts, access necessary facilities and documents, visit locations connected to the incident and request memoranda from members of the public.
The Minister directed the NSCDC leadership and all relevant officers to cooperate fully with the committee, while ordering that all records and material evidence relating to the incident be preserved and made available to the investigators.
FG Suspends 20 NSCDC Officers Pending Investigation
In addition to the Niger State Commandant, 20 NSCDC officers have been suspended in connection with the incident pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The suspended officers include the Officer-in-Charge of Station Guard, SC Usman Isah Ndamaka; Station Guard, ASCI Hassan Mohammed; Station Guard, CCA Bala Mohammed; Arresting Officer and Officer-in-Charge of Investigation, CSC Oluwadare Sunday; Arresting Officer, DCC Obafemi Elvis; and Arresting Officer, CSC Annas Shitto Lamino.
Others are the Head of Intelligence and Investigation, DCC Philip Ajayi; Officer-in-Charge of Legal, ACC Barrister Stephen Tsado; Day/Night Duty Officer, ASCI Alhassan Mohammed; and Guard Duty officers IC Abdullahi Sale, IC Mohammed Sonfada and CAI Liman Abubakar.
The remaining suspended officers are CAI Bala Usman, IC Mohammed Jiya, DSC Isah Suleiman, CAI Ahmed Wushishi, IC Sale Adamu, IC Haruna Mohammed, ASCI Aliyu Sallah and CAI Isah Sanusi.
The Minister warned that any attempt to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation would be treated as a serious offence.
He said the investigation must establish what happened, determine responsibility where wrongdoing is established and provide recommendations to prevent a recurrence.
Tunji-Ojo expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and appealed for calm as the independent committee begins its investigation.
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