⬆️Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (right), receiving the Panel Report on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
The Federal Government has described as “clear and sobering” the findings of an independent probe into the deaths of detainees held by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, confirming that 33 lives — including 14 minors — were lost in a preventable custodial tragedy.
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made the disclosure on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in a statement shared on his verified social media handles after receiving the report of the 10-member Independent Investigative Committee.
Five weeks earlier, on the clear directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Tunji-Ojo inaugurated the committee to establish the full truth surrounding the deaths that occurred at the NSCDC Niger State Command facility in Minna. The detainees had been arrested during operations targeting suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state in mid-September 2026.
“As a government, the findings are clear and sobering. Thirty-three lives, including fourteen minors, were lost in what the Committee has established as a preventable custodial tragedy,” the minister stated. “The evidence points to severe overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, prolonged exposure to extreme heat and dehydration, and a systemic failure of duty of care within the detention facility. These conditions, rather than any disease outbreak, led to the fatalities.”
The committee, chaired by Mr. Jonathan Kure, mni (retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services), with Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN (former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School) as Secretary, conducted five weeks of rigorous fieldwork.
Medical and forensic evidence established that the deaths resulted from environmental asphyxia — acute respiratory failure caused by prolonged confinement in a severely overcrowded and poorly ventilated cell, aggravated by heat stress and dehydration. Initial reports had put the death toll at 37; the panel authenticated 33 deaths and identified 41 survivors.
Tunji-Ojo emphasised that the administration, guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, remains unwavering in its commitment that every Nigerian life matters and that justice must not only be done but must be seen to have been done.
He announced that the full report has been transmitted to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for immediate judicial action.
Officers who attempted to conceal, disrupt, or destroy evidence will face immediate suspension and full accountability, he promised, adding that comprehensive institutional reforms of the NSCDC will be driven with urgency and precision.
“Above all, support for the bereaved families and the survivors remain a top priority; because under this administration, we remain keenly committed to ensuring that Nigerians get the full measure of justice they deserve,” the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo commended the entire committee for their diligence, integrity, and commitment to justice. He specifically appreciated the other distinguished members: retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Professor Olayinka Buhari (Professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital); a representative of the Minna Emirate Council; a representative of the Niger State Government; Alhaji Liman Sulaiman (National Secretary, Miners Association of Nigeria); Deji Adeyanju (lawyer and human rights activist); Mrs. Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and Dr. George Agbakahi (Public Affairs Analyst).
“They have done the nation proud,” he added.
The minister’s statement signals the Federal Government’s determination to ensure accountability, deliver justice to the affected families and survivors, and implement far-reaching reforms within the NSCDC to prevent any recurrence of such a tragedy.
