Committee demands sack, prosecution of NSCDC commandant, others – Daily Trust

The unbiased ministerial committee probing the deaths of miners within the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State has really useful the dismissal of the State Commandant and different personnel discovered culpable within the incident.

This is one of the suggestions offered by the committee’s chairman, Jonathan Kure, within the report back to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The committee accused the officers of varied acts of misconduct, together with illegal detention, failure to reply to misery indicators, poor supervision and makes an attempt to change the detention facility earlier than an unbiased forensic examination.

“The committee discovered intensive failures of management, supervision, {and professional} conduct. State Commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye authorised and supervised the operation with out correct planning, approval, or oversight.

“He permitted overcrowding, failed to ensure lawful detention practices, and later issued a false public statement attributing the deaths to a disease outbreak,” the probe panel mentioned.

The committee concluded that his actions mirrored gross management failure, abuse of authority, and severe skilled misconduct.

“CSC Sunday Oluwadare, Head of Investigation Unit, facilitated illegal detention practices, ignored authorized and medical issues, and didn’t act regardless of direct consciousness of deteriorating detention situations.

“SC Usman Ndamaka maintained overcrowded situations, instructed subordinates to not open the cell, failed to reply appropriately to emergency alerts, and later participated within the cleansing and alteration of the detention space earlier than unbiased examination.

“ASCI Hassan Mohamed didn’t open the cell regardless of repeated misery indicators, and didn’t adequately escalate the emergency.

“DSC Sule Garba profiled the suspects into detention, together with minors, and failed to guard detainees’ rights. He additionally didn’t correctly doc the proof.

“DSC Musa Marafa unlawfully arrested and detained Emmanuel Emeka in relation to a civil debt dispute, contributing directly to his continued unlawful detention, along with the arrested minors,” the committee mentioned.

To guarantee accountability, the committee really useful “summary dismissal of officers found principally responsible,” and “prosecution for offences including murder, criminal negligence, torture, and inhuman treatment where applicable, and investigation by anti-corruption agencies into allegations of extortion and exhibit mismanagement.”

It additionally really useful administrative sanctions for officers whose failure contributed to the incident however didn’t quantity to main culpability.

More so, the committee really useful institutional reforms of the NSCDC as a way to make it extra operationally efficient.

“The reforms should be in the areas of recruitment, appointment, promotion, discipline, deployment, training and retraining, supervision and inspection, intelligence gathering, and reporting line,” it added.

Besides, the committee additionally really useful a complete overhaul and restructuring of the management of the NSCDC as a way to perform the specified reforms.

‘Arrest, detention done without approval’

While disclosing its findings, the committee mentioned the arrest and detention of the miners have been performed with out an authorized operational order or prior notification to the corps’ nationwide headquarters.

The unbiased ministerial committee mentioned the raids have been carried out on September 15 and 16, 2026, following complaints about suspected unlawful mining actions across the Mi-Washishi axis of Niger State.

According to the panel, the operation was performed with out satisfactory planning, session with related mining authorities or the involvement of the specialised mining marshals unit.

The committee additionally established that the mining websites focused throughout the raids have been licensed to Ozan Consul and Services Limited and Prince Air Resources Limited.

The operation resulted within the arrest of males, girls and youngsters. By the night of September 16, 75 individuals had been detained.

Following the discharge of one detainee, 74 remained in custody in a single day.

The panel discovered that roughly 50 male detainees have been confined in a cell measuring about 20 sq. metres, regardless of the power’s insufficient air flow and restricted capability.

It mentioned the operation and subsequent detention preparations mirrored severe failures in planning, supervision and compliance with relevant legal guidelines.

The committee additional established that some detainees had allegedly been held past lawful detention durations.

Among them was Emmanuel Emeka, whom the panel mentioned had been detained in reference to a civil dispute.

“The operation was undertaken without an approved operational order, proper planning and consultation with relevant mining authorities or involvement of the specialised mining marshals unit,” the report acknowledged.

“The committee concluded that the incident was a preventable custodial tragedy caused by severe overcrowding, unlawful and unsuitable detention conditions, failure of duty of care, disregard of repeated distress warnings, inadequate supervision, and wider systemic deficiencies,” the chairman additional learn from the manager abstract.

The report additionally faulted the detention of minors alongside adults, describing the situations as inconsistent with constitutional safeguards, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the Child Rights Act and accepted detention requirements.

The committee concluded that the illegal detention situations, extreme overcrowding and failure of officers to reply to repeated misery calls contributed to the deaths of 33 detainees between September 16 and 17, 2026.

Medical and forensic proof reviewed by the panel indicated that the fatalities resulted from acute respiratory failure according to environmental asphyxia, aggravated by overcrowding, excessive warmth, poor air flow and dehydration.

The investigation additionally discovered that detainees repeatedly banged on cell doorways and partitions, shouted for help and pleaded for water as situations deteriorated throughout the evening.

However, officers answerable for their welfare allegedly failed to supply well timed intervention.

Beyond the conduct of the person officers, the committee recognized broader institutional shortcomings inside the NSCDC, together with insufficient detention services, weak custodial oversight, the absence of closed-circuit tv monitoring, poor record-keeping and inadequate emergency medical capability.

Other deficiencies listed within the report included ineffective supervision, weak intelligence reporting preparations, workforce imbalance and persistent underfunding.

The committee mentioned the investigation confronted challenges that restricted features of its evaluation, saying the detention register for September 16, 2026, was unavailable, whereas 30 of the 33 deceased individuals had been buried earlier than autopsy examinations might be performed.

It added that the detention space had been cleaned, disinfected and altered earlier than unbiased forensic investigators arrived, affecting features of the examination.

N1.4bn compensation really useful

Meanwhile, the committee has really useful N1.4bn compensation for the bereaved households and survivors, comprising N30m for every of the 33 deceased individuals’ households and N10m for every of the 41 survivors.

It partly reads, “The committee recommends a restructuring of the NSCDC as a way to perform its reforms.

“The committee additionally recommends a restitutive package deal, a compensation of N30m for every of the 33 bereaved households and N10m to every of the 41 survivors, representing a complete compensation package deal of 1.4 billion naira.

“Additional measures include educational support for dependents of deceased victims, medical rehabilitation of survivors, psychological support for affected families, and a formal apology by the federal government.”

On the allegations {that a} substance was sprayed into the cell earlier than the demise of the miners, the committee mentioned it interviewed survivors however couldn’t set up the declare.

It mentioned the medical and post-mortem findings didn’t point out {that a} substance had been sprayed into the cell.

The committee urged the Federal Government to implement its suggestions.

FG will take motion – Minister

Responding to the report, the Minister of Interior mentioned the Federal Government wouldn’t conceal the findings or protect officers discovered culpable.

“Nothing will be swept under the carpet,” he mentioned.

The minister mentioned the report could be forwarded to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for additional judicial motion, whereas the ministry would deal with the executive features of the suggestions.

He additionally ordered the quick suspension of officers recognized as having hid or interfered with proof earlier than the committee’s investigators arrived on the detention facility.

“You cannot disrupt and destroy evidence in a case where we lost 30-something people. That is wickedness,” he mentioned.

Tunji-Ojo mentioned the federal government would work with the NSCDC to implement institutional reforms aimed toward stopping a recurrence.

He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had expressed concern in regards to the incident and emphasised the federal government’s accountability to guard susceptible individuals in custody.

“The best gift we can give to the deceased is justice, and justice must be done,” the minister mentioned.

Asked in regards to the timeline for implementing the suggestions, Tunji-Ojo mentioned the executive and judicial processes could be dealt with individually, with the Attorney-General’s workplace answerable for the related authorized proceedings.

“We want to assure you this government will never leave you alone. You will never walk alone,” Tunji-Ojo mentioned.