A Federal Government investigative committee has established that 37 persons who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State lost their lives through asphyxiation.
The committee’s chairman and former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, disclosed this on Tuesday while submitting the panel’s report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja.
Kure said the committee recommended the payment of ₦1.4bn in compensation to the families of 33 victims and 44 survivors affected by the incident.
He described the deaths as preventable, noting that the victims, including 14 minors, were detained under inhumane conditions.
The panel also called for the immediate dismissal of the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC and other officers directly involved in the detention of the suspected illegal miners who died in custody.
In addition, the committee recommended institutional reforms to strengthen the corps’ leadership and improve its operations.
Receiving the report, Tunji-Ojo pledged that the Federal Government would implement the recommendations to ensure justice for the victims and other affected persons.
The minister also directed the NSCDC leadership to immediately suspend officers who allegedly cleaned up the detention facility in an attempt to destroy evidence connected to the incident.
The findings mark a significant development in the investigation into the deaths of the suspected illegal miners, who died on September 17, 2026, while in the custody of the NSCDC Niger State Command in Minna.
The victims were among several individuals arrested during operations targeting suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State.
