By Palma Ileye
An independent investigation Committee has recommended the dismissal and prosecution of Officers found culpable in the deaths of 33 detainees, including 14 minors, in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
The Committee also recommended N1.4 billion in compensation for bereaved families and survivors, alongside sweeping reforms to address institutional failures that contributed to the tragedy.
Presenting the report to the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja, the Committee Chairman, Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), said the deaths recorded between September 15 and 17, 2026, were entirely preventable.
Kure said the investigation established that the detainees died primarily from environmental asphyxia and acute respiratory failure caused by severe overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, heat stress and dehydration.
He explained that the Committee reviewed medical and forensic evidence, detention registers, communication records, hospital records and burial documents. It also interviewed NSCDC personnel, survivors, bereaved families and other witnesses.
According to him, the incident followed enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining activities around the M.I. Wushishi axis on September 15 and 16, without an approved operational order, adequate planning or consultation with relevant mining authorities.
The mining sites were subsequently confirmed to be licensed to Ozan Consult and Services Limited and Presphere Resources Limited.
The operations resulted in the arrest of men, women and children. By the evening of September 16, 75 people had been detained, with 74 remaining in custody overnight after one person was released.
Approximately 50 male detainees were confined in a cell measuring about 20 square metres, with inadequate ventilation, no running water, poor lighting and no functioning toilet. Food and drinking water were also insufficient.
The committee found that adults and minors were detained together, while some detainees, including Emmanuel Emeka, had been unlawfully held beyond permissible periods. Emeka was reportedly detained over a civil debt dispute.
Kure said the conditions violated constitutional safeguards, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the Child Rights Act and accepted international detention standards.
Officers ignored distress calls
The report established that detainees began showing signs of distress shortly after 7 p.m. on September 16, repeatedly banging on the cell doors, shouting for assistance and pleading for water throughout the night.
Despite the warnings, Officers failed to open the cell, reduce the overcrowding or arrange emergency medical intervention. Medical personnel had also previously raised concerns about poor ventilation and the risk of suffocation.
Postmortem examinations were conducted on three bodies, while the remaining 30 had been buried before the committee’s investigators arrived.
The Committee found no evidence that an infectious disease outbreak, physical assault or custodial violence was the immediate cause of death. It also found no evidence supporting allegations that an aerosol substance had been sprayed into the cell.
The report indicted the Niger State Commandant, C.C. Zuberu Ali Ziyaka, for authorising the operation without proper planning and oversight, permitting overcrowding and issuing a public statement attributing the deaths to a disease outbreak.
Other officers indicted included CIC Sunday Oluwadare, SC Usman Ngamaka, ASC I. Hassan Mohammed, DSC Abubakar Daban and DSC Musa Marafa for various failures involving unlawful detention, ignored distress calls, inadequate supervision and alleged destruction or alteration of evidence.
The Committee recommended summary dismissal and prosecution for offences including murder, criminal negligence, torture and inhuman treatment, where applicable. It also called for anti-corruption investigations into allegations of extortion and exhibit mismanagement.
To provide relief to victims and their families, the Committee recommended N30 million for each of the 33 bereaved families and N10 million for each of the 41 survivors, totalling N1.4 billion.
It also proposed educational support for dependants of deceased victims, medical rehabilitation for survivors, psychological support for affected families and a formal government apology.
Other recommendations include constructing standard detention facilities across NSCDC Commands, installing CCTV cameras in Custodial areas, establishing independent custodial oversight and strengthening human rights training and emergency medical response.
The Committee further called for comprehensive restructuring of the Corps’ leadership, recruitment, promotion, discipline, deployment, intelligence gathering and supervision.
Responding, Tunji-Ojo assured Nigerians that the report would be forwarded to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for further judicial action where necessary.
He said Officers suspected of concealing or destroying evidence must be immediately suspended pending investigations and disciplinary action.
“Nothing will be swept under the carpet,” the Minister said, adding that the government would work with the NSCDC to implement reforms and prevent a recurrence.
He described the incident as a serious failure of leadership and reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to accountability and protecting vulnerable Nigerians.
Tunji-Ojo also commended Kure, the Committee’s Secretary, Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, and other members for completing the investigation five weeks after its inauguration.
He said the administration would ensure that Officers found culpable faced the consequences of their actions saying, “The best gift we can give to the deceased is justice, and justice must be done.”
