By Daily Review Online
The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member independent investigative committee to determine the immediate and remote causes of the deaths of 37 persons suspected of illegal mining in Niger State.
The detainees died on Thursday, September 17, 2026, while in the custody of the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Inaugurating the committee in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the Federal Government was committed to uncovering the circumstances surrounding the deaths and ensuring justice for the deceased.
Tunji-Ojo said the investigation was necessary to establish what happened and provide answers to the families of the victims and the wider public.
He also expressed the Federal Government’s condolences to the families of those who died and appealed for calm while the investigation is underway.
The committee is chaired by a 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 secretary.
Other members include retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof. 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 has been given two weeks to submit its report.
The minister thanked President Bola Tinubu for approving the investigation and constituting the committee, saying the move demonstrated the government’s determination to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
The cause of the deaths has not yet been established.
The 37 men were reportedly being held by the NSCDC Niger State Command when they died, prompting calls for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Federal Government had earlier suspended 20 NSCDC personnel in connection with the deaths pending the outcome of investigations.
The new committee is expected to examine the circumstances leading to the deaths and make recommendations based on its findings.