A Federal Government investigative committee has found that 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State died from asphyxiation.
The committee described the deaths as avoidable and recommended ₦1.4 billion in compensation for affected families and survivors.
The committee chairman and former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, disclosed the findings on Tuesday while presenting the panel’s report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja.
Kure said the victims, including 14 minors, were held in inhumane conditions before their deaths at the NSCDC’s Niger State Command facility in Minna.
The committee recommended that ₦1.4 billion be paid to the families of 33 victims and 44 survivors affected by the incident.
It also called for the summary dismissal of the Niger State NSCDC commandant and other officers directly involved in the detention of the miners and the circumstances that led to their deaths.
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👉 JOIN GISTSMATE WHATSAPP CHANNELBeyond individual accountability, the panel recommended institutional reforms within the corps to strengthen leadership, improve operational standards and prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.
Receiving the report, Tunji-Ojo pledged that the Federal Government would implement the committee’s recommendations to ensure justice for those affected.
The minister also directed the NSCDC commandant to immediately suspend officers alleged to have cleaned up the detention centre in a manner intended to destroy evidence, according to the report presented by the committee.
The findings mark a significant development in the investigation into the deaths of the 37 suspected illegal miners, who died on September 17, 2026, while in NSCDC custody in Minna.
The victims were among dozens of people arrested during operations against suspected illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State.
The deaths raised serious concerns about the treatment of detainees, conditions inside the facility and the responsibility of security personnel to protect people in their custody.
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