Breaking: FG Inaugurates Committee to Probe Deaths of 37 Niger Mining Detainees

The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 people who were detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps over alleged illegal mining activities in Niger State.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated the committee on Tuesday in Abuja following a directive from President Bola Tinubu for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

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

The cause of the deaths has not yet been established, prompting the Federal Government to order an independent investigation to determine what happened and whether any wrongdoing occurred.

The committee is chaired by a 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 of the committee include retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof. Olayinka Buhari, a professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; as well as representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and the Niger State Government.

The committee also has Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju; Blueprint Newspaper journalist, Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino; and public affairs analyst, Dr George Agbakahi, as members.

Speaking at the inauguration, Tunji-Ojo commended President Tinubu for directing the establishment of the committee, saying the investigation was necessary to establish the facts surrounding the incident and ensure justice for the deceased.

The minister expressed condolences to the families of the victims and appealed for calm as the committee begins its investigation.

The committee is expected to examine the circumstances leading to the deaths and make appropriate findings and recommendations to the Federal Government.

Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.

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