A presidential investigative committee has blamed extreme heat and overcrowded cells for the deaths of 37 people in the custody of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.

The committee presented its report to the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja on Tuesday.

Its chairman, Jonathan Kure, said the deaths came from “overcrowding, unsuitable detention condition, failure of care on duty, and inadequate supervision,” among other causes.

The committee said the tragedy was preventable.

It described the incident as “a preventable custodial tragedy caused by severe overcrowding, unlawful and unsuitable detention conditions, failure of duty of care, disregard of repeated distress warnings, inadequate supervision, and wider systemic deficiencies.”

The panel said medical and forensic evidence did not support claims that a disease outbreak caused the deaths.

Instead, it found that the victims died from “an environmental aphasia, an acute respiratory failure caused by prolonged confinement in a severely overcrowded and poorly ventilated detention cell, aggravated by heat stress and dehydration.”

How the Investigation Was Done

The committee interviewed NSCDC leadership, operational personnel, cell guards, medical staff, survivors, bereaved families and community representatives.

It also reviewed arrest and detention registers, communication records, duty rosters, hospital and mortuary records, autopsy findings and burial records. In addition, it interviewed 29 of the 41 survivors, including nine minors.

The panel found that the tragedy stemmed from enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining in and around Minna.

However, it said there was no evidence that the operation had an “operational order” or approval from the NSCDC national headquarters

The committee recommended an overhaul of the NSCDC leadership under Commandant General Prof Ahmed Audi. It said the leadership could not be exonerated from the matter.

It also found institutional lapses and gaps among NSCDC personnel who carried out the operations.

The committee recommended that the government pay ₦30 million in compensation to each of the families of the victims.

Minister Promises Action

Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said President Bola Tinubu ordered the committee to ensure a thorough investigation. He said the President believes every Nigerian life matters, regardless of status.

He said the committee’s makeup showed the government had no plan to hide anything. He added that the report and recommendations would go to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for implementation.

Tunji-Ojo promised that the government would take steps to prevent a repeat. He also said the NSCDC would see changes that make it more professional and responsive to its core mandate.

The panel’s findings therefore put pressure on the NSCDC to fix its detention practices.

As a result, the next step rests with the justice ministry and the agency’s leadership if to press charges against the officials found culpable in the tragedy.