The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has transmitted the report of the independent investigative committee into the deaths of 33 persons in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) custody in Niger State to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for judicial action.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed this in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, noting that the committee established that the deaths, which included 14 minors, resulted from preventable conditions within the detention facility.
He affirmed that the investigation identified severe overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, prolonged exposure to extreme heat and dehydration as the causes of the fatalities, ruling out a disease outbreak.
The Minister said that the government would hold accountable officers who attempted to conceal, disrupt or destroy evidence, adding that such personnel would face immediate suspension.
He also disclosed that comprehensive institutional reforms of the NSCDC would be pursued urgently, while support for the bereaved families and survivors remained a priority.
Tunji-Ojo recalled that the 10-member committee was inaugurated five weeks earlier on the directive of President Bola Tinubu to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The committee was chaired by Mr. Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, with Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, serving as Secretary.
Other members included retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Professor Olayinka Buhari, a professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and Niger State Government; Alhaji Liman Sulaiman of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju; Mrs. Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and Dr. George Agbakahi, a public affairs analyst.
The Minister commended the committee for its diligence and professionalism, stressing that it submitted its report after five weeks of fieldwork.
