The Federal Government committee investigating the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, has recommended the dismissal and prosecution of senior officers implicated in the incident.
Jonathan Kure, chairman of the 10-member independent investigative committee, disclosed this on Tuesday while presenting the panel’s report to Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, in Abuja.
The committee also recommended ₦1.4 billion in compensation for the families of 33 victims and 44 survivors, according to Kure.
He said the deaths were avoidable, adding that the victims, including 14 minors, had been held in inhuman conditions.
Panel Recommends Dismissal of Niger NSCDC Commandant
The committee called for the summary dismissal of the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC and other officers directly involved in the detention of the miners and their eventual deaths.
It also recommended institutional reforms to strengthen the leadership and operations of the corps.
Tunji-Ojo, who received the report, promised to implement the recommendations to ensure justice for all those affected by the incident.
The minister also directed the NSCDC commandant to immediately suspend officers who allegedly cleaned up the detention centre in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Miners Died From Asphyxiation
Chronicle NG had earlier reported that the committee found that the miners died from asphyxiation, a condition in which the body is deprived of adequate oxygen.
The Federal Government constituted the 10-member committee on September 19 following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a “full and transparent” investigation into the deaths.
The panel’s recommendations now place the dismissal of the officers involved, possible prosecution and compensation for affected families and survivors among the key issues arising from the investigation.
