The federal government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to probe the deaths of 37 people detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State over suspected illegal mining on Friday.
The committee is chairmed by a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, according to the Minister of The Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, who alsoannounce Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, a Senior Advocate ofNigeria, SAN and , former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, as secretary of the 10-man panel of investigators.
The committee is chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, while Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, will serve as secretary.
Other members of the committee, include retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Professor Olayinka Buhari, a professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; a representative of the Minna Emirate Council; and a representative of the Niger State Government.
The minister also listed as members of the committee, Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju; Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and public affairs analyst, Dr George Agbakahi.
The victims had died two days ago while in the custody oft he NSCDC. The incident has elicited an outcry from not a few Nigerias,insluding Civils society bodies and opposition politicl parties who have demanded an indepndent probe by the federal government.
On Friday, the state government declared a 24-hour curfew after riots broke out in the state capital, Minna and other parts of the state. Governor Umaru Bago had sued for calm, even as the federal government annunced the suspension of the state NSCDC commander.
According to the minister, the institution of the committee was based on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the committee would establish the identities of the deceased and investigate what led to their arrest and detention.,and subsequent death.
The commite, the minsiter said, has also been directed determine responsibility, complicity, negligence and misconduct, as well as recommend appropriate action, compensation where applicable and measures to prevent a recurrence, warning that any attempt to destroy evidence needed by the committe to do its job effectivey, would receive sanctions.
“Any attempt to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation will be treated as a serious offence,” the minister said.
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