Niger Miners’ Deaths: FG Inaugurates 10-Man Independent Investigative Committee

The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-man independent investigative committee with a mandate to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the death of 37 persons suspected to be illegal miners.

Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the federal government is determined to ensure that justice is served in honour of the deceased persons who died in the custody of the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The committee, chaired by a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, and with a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, as secretary, has two weeks to deliver its report.

Other members are retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof 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 minister, in his remarks, thanked Tinubu for constituting the committee and directing an investigation into the incident, saying the move was aimed at ensuring justice for the victims.

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

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

The cause of the deaths has not been established, with authorities ordering an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.