The Federal Government has set up a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while being held by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated the committee on Tuesday in Abuja following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a full investigation into the deaths and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The committee is headed by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, while a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, will serve as its secretary.
Other members of the panel include retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof Olayinka Buhari, a histopathology professor 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 has Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, the 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 as members.
The 37 detainees died on Thursday, September 17, 2026, while in the custody of the NSCDC Niger State Command.
The actual cause of the deaths has not yet been established, prompting the Federal Government to order an investigation into what happened and the conditions surrounding the deaths.
While inaugurating the committee, Tunji-Ojo expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for ordering the investigation and said the process was expected to help establish the facts and ensure that justice was served for the deceased.
The minister also expressed sympathy to the families of the victims and appealed to them and other concerned persons to remain calm while the committee carries out its assignment.
Tunji-Ojo said the panel had been given two weeks to complete its investigation and submit its report to the Ministry of Interior.
The minister said the broad range of people selected for the committee was intended to support a credible investigation and ensure that the circumstances surrounding the deaths were properly examined.
The development comes as the Federal Government seeks to establish what led to the deaths of the detainees and determine whether any wrongdoing occurred while they were in NSCDC custody.