Michael Olugbode in Abuja
A Federal Government investigative panel has found that 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State died from asphyxiation, recommending N1.4 billion in compensation for affected families and survivors.
The panel also recommended the summary dismissal of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and other officers found to have been directly involved in the incident, describing the deaths as avoidable and calling for measures to prevent a recurrence.
The chairman of the 10-member independent investigative committee, Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, disclosed the findings on Tuesday while presenting the panel’s report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja.
The recommendations followed investigations into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died on September 17, 2026, while being detained by the NSCDC in Minna, the Niger State capital.
The victims were among dozens of people arrested during anti-illegal mining operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state.
According to reports on the panel’s findings, the committee recommended N1.4 billion in compensation for the families of 33 deceased victims and 44 survivors affected by the incident.
The panel also called for the dismissal of the state commandant and officers whose involvement in the arrests, detention and circumstances surrounding the deaths was established.
Fourteen of the deceased were reportedly minors, raising further concerns about the treatment of young people detained during the operation.
The Federal Government constituted the independent committee following public outrage over the deaths and President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation.
The committee was mandated to establish the circumstances surrounding the arrests and detention, determine the cause of death, identify possible negligence or misconduct and recommend appropriate sanctions and compensation.
The incident had earlier triggered protests in Minna, with residents and relatives of the deceased demanding answers over how so many detainees could die while in government custody.
Initial accounts from the authorities suggested a possible disease outbreak, while survivors subsequently described overcrowded and poorly ventilated detention conditions.
Some survivors also alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed into the cell before detainees began experiencing breathing difficulties and other unusual symptoms.
Those accounts raised questions about the conditions in which the suspects were held and whether security personnel responded adequately to their distress.
The allegations, however, required independent verification, including forensic examinations, before responsibility for the deaths could be conclusively established.
In September, the Minister of Interior announced the suspension of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and 20 other officers pending the outcome of the investigation.
The committee subsequently inspected the detention facility, visited relevant locations, conducted autopsies and obtained statements from NSCDC personnel, survivors, relatives of the deceased and other witnesses.
It also reviewed documentary and forensic evidence as part of efforts to reconstruct the events leading to the deaths.
Before the submission of its final report, the panel had identified institutional weaknesses, alleged overzealousness among personnel and inadequate training as issues requiring attention.
The committee had sought additional time to complete its work, citing the volume of evidence and the need to obtain and review medical and forensic reports while allowing persons implicated in the incident to respond.
The latest findings and recommendations now place the responsibility on the relevant authorities to determine and implement appropriate disciplinary measures, address compensation for affected families and survivors, and strengthen safeguards against deaths in custody.
Receiving the report, Tunji-Ojo pledged that the Federal Government would implement the committee’s recommendations to ensure justice for the victims and prevent a recurrence.
The minister also directed the NSCDC leadership to suspend officers allegedly involved in cleaning the detention facility in an attempt to destroy evidence, according to reports on the presentation of the panel’s findings.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths have renewed concerns about accountability within Nigeria’s security agencies and the protection of the rights of people held in detention.
The implementation of the panel’s recommendations, particularly the proposed compensation, disciplinary sanctions and institutional reforms, will be a key test of the government’s commitment to accountability in the case.