The Federal Government’s Independent Investigative Committee probing the deaths of detainees in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State has found that 33 persons, including 14 minors, died from asphyxiation caused by overcrowding, poor ventilation, heat stress and dehydration. Nigerian Banking Launch
The committee described the deaths as a preventable custodial tragedy, attributing them to unlawful detention conditions, failure of duty of care, disregard for repeated distress calls, inadequate supervision and wider systemic deficiencies within the corps.
Jonathan Kure, Chairman of the 10-member committee and former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, disclosed the findings on Tuesday while presenting the panel’s report to Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, in Abuja.
The committee was constituted following a directive by President Bola Tinubu to investigate the deaths of suspects arrested during operations against suspected illegal mining activities in Niger State.