RismadarVoice Reporters
September 27, 2026
The Federal Government of Nigeria has intensified investigations into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State, with President Bola Tinubu directing that the circumstances surrounding the incident be comprehensively investigated.
The 37 were among dozens of suspected illegal miners arrested during operations conducted on September 15 and 16 before being detained at an NSCDC facility in Minna.
The detainees died on September 17, while the exact cause of their deaths has yet to be officially established.
Survivors have alleged that overcrowding and exposure to an unidentified substance contributed to the deaths, but those claims remain subject to medical and forensic investigation.
Following the incident, Interior Minister Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo constituted a 10-member Independent Investigative Committee on the directive of President Tinubu.
The Niger State NSCDC Commandant and 20 other officers connected with the incident were also suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
Tunji-Ojo said the government owed the families of the deceased and Nigerians a transparent account of what happened.
The committee has been mandated to establish the identities of the deceased and investigate the circumstances of their arrest, detention and deaths.
It is also expected to determine through medical and forensic examinations the cause and manner of death and investigate possible negligence, misconduct, complicity or other breaches of responsibility.
The panel will recommend disciplinary measures where necessary, compensation where applicable and reforms aimed at preventing a recurrence.
Retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, chairs the committee, while former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, serves as secretary.
Other members include legal, medical, security, mining, media and civil society representatives.
The committee has been authorised to engage relevant experts, inspect facilities, access documents and other evidence, visit locations connected with the incident and receive memoranda from members of the public.
It has two weeks to conclude its assignment and submit its report.
The committee has since commenced sittings, with its medical team beginning work to determine the cause, mechanism and manner of the deaths.
The investigation is expected to examine not only the immediate circumstances surrounding the deaths but also the conditions under which the detainees were held and whether any officials failed in their responsibilities.
For the families of the deceased and the wider public, attention will now be focused on the committee’s findings and whether the investigation results in accountability where wrongdoing is established.
