FG inaugurates panel probing miners’ deaths

The Federal Government has officially established a panel to probe the tragic deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners, detained by the Nigerian Civil Defence and Security Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State. The victims succumbed to suffocation in a cramped cell between Thursday and Friday. President Bola Tinubu expressed deep concern and mandated an investigation.

In response, Interior Minister Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo formed a 10-person independent committee to delve into the incident. The Minister also ordered suspensions of all officers implicated until the committee's findings are published. Describing the deaths as "deeply disturbing," Tunji-Ojo emphasized the government's duty to provide a transparent account to the families of the deceased and the Nigerian public.

The committee's mandate includes identifying the deceased, investigating their arrest, detention, cause of death, and circumstances surrounding the event. They are tasked with ascertaining responsibility, complicity, negligence, and misconduct, and recommending appropriate actions, compensation, and preventive measures. The NSCDC leadership and all relevant officers have been directed to cooperate fully with the committee, and all records and evidence connected to the incident must be preserved for the investigators.

Failure to cooperate or obstruct the investigation will be considered a serious offence. The committee, chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services Mr. Jonathan Kure, comprises members including a former Director-General of the Nigeria Law School, a Professor of Histopathology, representatives from the Minna Emirate Council and the Niger State Government, a lawyer and human rights activist, and a Public Affairs Analyst. The committee has two weeks to complete its work and submit its report to the Interior Minister.