An independent investigative committee set up by the Federal Government has established that the 37 miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State were killed by suffocation.
The committee chairman and former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, disclosed this on Tuesday, October 27, while presenting the panel’s report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja.
Kure said the deaths were avoidable, noting that the victims, including 14 minors, were detained under inhuman conditions.
The panel recommended N1.4 billion in compensation for the families of 33 victims and 44 survivors. It also called for the summary dismissal of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and other officers directly involved in the detention that led to the deaths.
Additionally, the committee recommended institutional reforms to strengthen the leadership and operations of the corps.
Receiving the report, Tunji-Ojo pledged to implement the recommendations to ensure justice for the victims and their families. He also directed the immediate suspension of officers who allegedly cleaned up the detention centre to destroy evidence.
The 37 suspected illegal miners died on September 17, 2026, while in the custody of the NSCDC Niger State Command in Minna. They were among dozens of people arrested during operations against suspected illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state.
