FG Inaugurates 10-Member Panel to Investigate Deaths of 37 Niger Miners

The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) 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 comprehensive investigation into the incident.

The committee is chaired 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 secretary.

Other members include retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof. Olayinka Buhari, a professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and Niger State Government; Alhaji Liman Sulaiman of the Miners Association of Nigeria; human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju; Blueprint Newspaper’s Zainab Suleiman Okino; and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi.

The 37 detainees reportedly died on September 17, 2026, while in the custody of the NSCDC Niger State Command.

The cause of the deaths has not yet been established. The committee is expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine what led to the deaths.

Tunji-Ojo expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and appealed for calm while the investigation is ongoing.

He said the committee has two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report.

The minister said the composition of the committee was designed to ensure an independent and credible investigation, adding that justice must be served for the victims.

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