By News Maker Media in Abuja
The Federal Government has opened a two-week investigation into the deaths of 37 people in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, with Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo warning that no officer found culpable will be protected, according to a press release
e-signed by Mary Ali, Head, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Interior on Tuesday.
Tunji-Ojo gave the warning on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, while inaugurating a 10-member Independent Investigative Committee in Abuja on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The minister said the panel had been given the responsibility of getting to the root of the incident and must be allowed to work without political, institutional or other forms of interference.
He said justice was the “best gift” the country could offer the families of those who died, stressing that Nigeria owed the deceased and their relatives an obligation to establish what actually happened.
The investigation will cover the identities of the deceased, the circumstances of their arrest and detention, and the medical and forensic evidence surrounding their deaths. The committee will also investigate possible negligence, misconduct, complicity or other breaches of duty.
Where culpability is established, the panel is expected to recommend appropriate disciplinary action and compensation where applicable, alongside measures designed to prevent a repeat of the incident.
Tunji-Ojo further directed the NSCDC leadership and other relevant officers to provide the committee with all necessary records and evidence. He warned that attempts to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation would constitute serious offences.
“We owe you the truth. This committee will give you the truth. No officer, no matter how highly placed, will be shielded if found culpable,” the minister said.
The committee is headed by retired DSS Deputy Director-General, Mr Jonathan Kure, while Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), former Director-General of the Nigeria Law School, is the Secretary.
Its membership also includes retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof. Olayinka Buhari, a Professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; Niger State Secretary to the Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman; retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Idris Kuta; and National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Liman Sulaiman.
Lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju, Blueprint Newspaper’s Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino, and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi are also members.
Kure, speaking for the committee, said the appointment was a call to national service and promised that the investigation would not be influenced by sentiment or media speculation.
He said the committee would base its conclusions strictly on facts gathered during its fieldwork and maintain its integrity throughout the exercise.
The committee is expected to begin work immediately and submit its report within two weeks.
