By Taibat Ummi Yakubu
The Federal Government has launched an independent investigation into 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 investigation follows growing concern over the circumstances surrounding the deaths, which reportedly occurred between Thursday and Friday after the suspects were detained in a confined cell.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed that the incident be thoroughly investigated, prompting the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to constitute a 10-member independent committee to uncover what happened and determine whether any officials should be held responsible.
The committee was formally inaugurated by the minister in Abuja on Tuesday and has been given two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its findings.
As part of the government's initial response, Tunji-Ojo ordered the suspension of all officers allegedly connected with the incident pending the outcome of the investigation.
The minister described the deaths as deeply disturbing and said the government had a responsibility to provide the families of the victims, as well as the wider Nigerian public, with a clear account of how 37 people came to lose their lives while in official custody.
Rather than limiting the inquiry to the immediate cause of death, the committee has been tasked with examining the entire chain of events surrounding the case.
Its mandate includes establishing the identities of the deceased, determining why and how they were arrested, examining the conditions under which they were detained, and establishing the medical and other circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Investigators are also expected to determine whether there was negligence, misconduct, complicity or any other form of wrongdoing by individuals or institutions involved in the arrests and detention.
Where responsibility is established, the committee is expected to recommend appropriate sanctions. It will also consider compensation where applicable and propose measures that could prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again.
Tunji-Ojo directed the NSCDC leadership and every officer connected to the matter to give the panel unrestricted cooperation throughout the investigation.
He also ordered that all documents, records and physical or other evidence relating to the incident be preserved and made available to the committee.
The minister issued a strong warning against interference with the inquiry, saying anyone who attempts to destroy evidence, hide relevant information, intimidate witnesses or otherwise frustrate the investigation would face serious consequences.
The panel brings together individuals with backgrounds in security, law, medicine, government, mining, journalism and civil society.
It is chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr Jonathan Kure, mni, while Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, serves as secretary.
Other members are retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Professor 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 also includes Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju; Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi.
With just 14 days to conclude its assignment, the panel is expected to establish a factual account of the incident and provide recommendations that will guide the government's next steps.
The deaths have placed renewed attention on the treatment of suspects in government custody and the responsibility of security agencies to safeguard the lives of people detained under their authority. The committee's findings are therefore expected to determine not only what led to the deaths but also whether officials or institutions failed in their duties.
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