The Federal Government’s Independent Investigative Committee probing the deaths of detainees in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State has found that 37 persons, including 14 minors, died from asphyxiation caused by overcrowding, poor ventilation, heat stress and dehydration.
The committee chairman and former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, disclosed this on Tuesday while presenting the panel’s report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja.
Kure said the deaths were preventable, attributing them to unlawful detention conditions, failure of duty of care, disregard for distress calls and poor supervision.
The 10-member committee was constituted following a directive by President Bola Tinubu to investigate the deaths of suspects arrested during operations against suspected illegal mining in Niger State.
Although initial reports put the death toll at 37, the committee authenticated 33 deaths and identified 41 survivors.
According to Kure, medical and forensic evidence showed that the victims suffered environmental asphyxia after prolonged confinement in a severely overcrowded and poorly ventilated cell. He added that the evidence did not support claims that a disease outbreak caused the deaths.
The committee established that NSCDC personnel conducted raids on September 15 and 16 without an approved operational order, adequate planning or consultation with relevant mining authorities. The corps’ national headquarters was also not informed before the operation began.
Kure said 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 either unavailable or grossly inadequate, while adults and minors were detained together.
He added that witnesses told the committee that detainees repeatedly banged on the cell doors and walls, shouted for help and pleaded for water as conditions deteriorated overnight.
The deaths occurred between 8pm on September 16 and 7am on September 17, when the cell was eventually opened. Post-mortem examinations were conducted on three bodies, while the remaining 30 had been buried before the arrival of the committee’s medical team.
The panel also found no evidence to support allegations that an aerosol substance had been sprayed into the cell before the deaths. However, it noted that the detention area had been cleaned, disinfected and altered before independent forensic investigators arrived, while the detention register for September 16 was unavailable.
The committee identified leadership failures and professional misconduct among officers, including the state commandant, the Head of the Investigation Unit and other personnel responsible for detainee welfare.
It accused the state commandant of authorising and supervising the operation without proper planning or oversight, permitting overcrowding and subsequently attributing the deaths to a disease outbreak.
Other officers were accused of failing to respond to distress calls, maintaining unlawful detention conditions, detaining minors without adequate protection and participating in the alteration of the detention area.
The committee recommended the prosecution of culpable officers for offences including murder, criminal negligence, torture and inhuman treatment, where applicable. It also called for investigations into allegations of extortion and mismanagement of exhibits.
It further recommended the summary dismissal of the state commandant and officers found directly responsible for the deaths, alongside administrative sanctions for other personnel whose failures contributed to the incident.
On compensation, the committee proposed N30m for each of the 33 bereaved families and N10m for each of the 41 survivors, bringing the total compensation package to N1.4bn.
It also recommended educational support for dependants of the deceased, medical rehabilitation for survivors, psychological support for affected families and a formal Federal Government apology.
The panel also called for a comprehensive overhaul of the NSCDC’s leadership and operations, including standard detention facilities, CCTV installation in custodial areas, improved emergency medical response, stronger oversight and enhanced human rights training.
Receiving the report, Tunji-Ojo promised that the Federal Government would implement its recommendations and ensure justice for the victims.
He directed the NSCDC Commandant-General to immediately suspend officers allegedly involved in cleaning the detention centre and potentially destroying evidence.
He said the report would be forwarded to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for further judicial action, while the ministry would review the administrative recommendations and work with the corps on institutional reforms.
