By Hadiza Mohammed, Northern Operation
The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 people who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated the committee on Tuesday in Abuja, following a directive from President Bola Tinubu for a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The 37 detainees reportedly died on Thursday, September 17, 2026, while in the custody of the NSCDC Niger State Command.
The circumstances and cause of the deaths have not yet been established, prompting the Federal Government to order an independent inquiry into the incident.
The committee is chaired by a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, while a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, will serve as secretary.
Other members of the committee include retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof. Olayinka Buhari, a professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; and representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and the Niger State Government.
The panel also comprises Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju; Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and public affairs analyst, Dr George Agbakahi.
Speaking during the inauguration, Tunji-Ojo commended President Tinubu for ordering the investigation, saying the move was intended to establish the facts surrounding the deaths and ensure justice for the victims.
The minister also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and appealed for calm as the investigation proceeds.
According to Tunji-Ojo, the committee has two weeks to conclude its investigation and submit its report to the Minister of Interior.
The committee is expected to examine the circumstances leading to the deaths and make findings that will assist the government in determining what transpired while the detainees were in NSCDC custody.
