Niger Sets Up Committee to Investigate Death of 37 Illegal Miners in NSCDC’s Detention

Laleye Dipo in Minna

Niger State Government has constituted a 20-member committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the deaths in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) custody in Minna last Thursday.

The committee, which has begun sitting, has the deputy governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba, as chairman, and Commissioner for Homeland Security, Mr Maurice Magaji, as secretary.

Other members, according to a statement by the secretary of the committee, are the representatives of the police, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigerian Air Force, as well as the representatives of the Ministry of Health, Mr Obed Yakwo Kango, and Mr Sulaiman Dauda Chukuba

Co-opted members were Mohammed Danjuma Qasim, Salisu Ali, representative of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Imam forum, civil society organisations (CSOs), Minna Emirate Council, and National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN).

Inaugurating the committee, Governor Mohammed Bago charged the members to be “diligent, professional impartial and thorough in the discharge of their responsibilities.”

Bago declared, “The entire world is watching the committee and the state’ as such they should expedite action and conduct visits to relevant location and also invite key figures in the incident to give evidence.”

He urged the public to submit memorandum to the committee to assist it in its activities.