The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 people who were detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State over suspected illegal mining.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the committee on Saturday following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The 37 detainees died on Thursday, September 17, 2026, while in the custody of the NSCDC Niger State Command.
The circumstances and cause of the deaths have not been established, with the government directing the committee to determine what happened and identify those responsible, if any.
According to a statement signed by the minister, the committee will establish the identities of the deceased and examine the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention.
It will also investigate the cause and circumstances of the deaths, determine responsibility, complicity, negligence or misconduct, and recommend appropriate measures, including compensation where applicable.
The committee is further expected to recommend steps to prevent a recurrence.
“Any attempt to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation will be treated as a serious offence,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The committee is chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, while Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, will serve as secretary.
Other members are 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 committee also includes Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju; Blueprint Newspaper journalist Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino; and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi.
The government said the committee has the authority to co-opt relevant experts, access facilities and official documents, visit locations connected to the incident and request memoranda from members of the public.
The panel has two weeks to complete its investigation and submit its report to the Minister of Interior.
Tunji-Ojo expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and appealed to members of the public to remain calm while the investigation is underway.
