FG Sets Up 10-Member Panel to Probe Deaths of 37 NSCDC Detainees, Suspends 20 Officers

The Federal Government has constituted 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 (NSCDC) in Niger State.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the constitution of the panel on Saturday, September 19, 2026, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation into the incident.

The deceased were among people arrested by the NSCDC during operations against suspected illegal mining in the Wushishi-Lukoto areas of Niger State. The arrests reportedly took place on September 15 and 16, while the deaths were discovered on September 17 in Minna.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation. The NSCDC initially indicated that a suspected disease outbreak could have been responsible, but authorities have stressed that the actual cause has not yet been established and that medical and forensic investigations are required.

The Federal Government said the newly constituted committee would establish the identities of the deceased and examine the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention. It will also investigate the conditions in which they were held and determine what led to their deaths.

The government is also expected to determine whether there was any responsibility, complicity, negligence or misconduct on the part of officers involved in the detention and handling of the suspects. The committee is expected to make recommendations on appropriate action and compensation where applicable.

As part of the immediate response, the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, was suspended. Reports from multiple outlets indicate that additional NSCDC personnel were also suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

President Tinubu had earlier directed that the investigation should cover the circumstances of the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they were taken into custody, the conditions of detention, the number of people held at the facility, medical attention provided to them and the events preceding their deaths.

The President also stressed that the suspension of officers was an administrative measure and should not replace a determination of criminal responsibility where evidence warrants prosecution. He directed the relevant authorities to cooperate fully with investigators and ensure that no official interferes with the process.

The deaths have generated significant public concern in Niger State, with protests reported in Minna and the state government imposing a 24-hour curfew following unrest. Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has separately constituted a state-level inquiry and said forensic examinations, medical assessments and autopsies were being conducted to establish the scientific cause of the deaths.

The Federal Government’s latest action therefore places the incident under a broader independent investigation while separate inquiries by the Niger State Government and security agencies continue. Authorities have urged calm as investigators work to establish what happened to the detainees and determine responsibility based on evidence.