LAGOS
Thirty-seven suspected illegal miners died from asphyxiation while in the custody of Nigeria’s Civil Defence Corps in Niger State, a federal investigative panel said Tuesday, describing the deaths as preventable and recommending compensation for affected families and disciplinary action against officers.
Jonathan Kure, chairman of the independent investigative committee and a retired deputy director-general of the Department of State Services, presented the findings to Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in the capital Abuja.
Kure said the victims, including 14 minors, died under inhumane detention conditions.
The committee recommended compensation totaling 1.4 billion Nigerian naira (approximately $1 million) for the families of those who died and survivors, according to a report obtained by Anadolu.
It also called for the dismissal of the Niger State commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other officers directly involved in the detention and deaths.
The panel further recommended institutional reforms to improve the corps’ leadership and operations.
Tunji-Ojo pledged to implement the recommendations to ensure justice for those affected.
He also ordered the suspension of officers accused of cleaning the detention facility to destroy evidence, according to the report.
The deaths occurred on Sept. 17, when 37 of 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners arrested during operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State were found dead at an NSCDC detention facility in Minna, the state capital.
The federal government established the independent committee following public concern over the deaths and suspended officers implicated in the incident pending the investigation.
President Bola Tinubu had also called for a comprehensive and transparent inquiry.
