Thirty-seven suspected illegal miners died from asphyxiation while being held by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, with a Federal Government investigative panel describing the deaths as preventable.
The panel’s chairman, Jonathan Kure, a former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, disclosed this on Tuesday during the submission of the committee’s report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja.
Kure said the committee recommended ₦1.4 billion in compensation for the families of 33 victims and 44 survivors.
According to him, the victims, among them 14 minors, were detained in inhumane conditions that contributed to the avoidable loss of lives.
The panel called for the dismissal of the Niger State NSCDC commandant and other officers found to have been directly involved in the miners’ detention and the events that culminated in their deaths.
It also urged the government to introduce institutional reforms within the corps to improve leadership and strengthen accountability.
Responding to the report, Tunji-Ojo pledged that the government would act on the recommendations to ensure justice for those affected.
The minister further ordered the immediate suspension of officers accused of cleaning up the detention facility in an alleged attempt to destroy evidence.
The findings represent a significant step in the investigation into the deaths, which occurred on September 17, 2026, while the suspected miners were in the custody of the NSCDC’s Niger State Command in Minna.
The victims were among several people arrested during operations targeting suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune