Thirty-seven people walked into detention alive. Hours later, all of them were dead. What really happened inside that holding facility in Niger State?

This is a troubling one, and Nigerians are asking tough questions.

The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 persons who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State. They had been picked up over suspected illegal mining. Credit to cbinews.tv for the details of the lineup.

The inauguration happened on Tuesday in Abuja. Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji Ojo did the honours, acting on a direct order from President Bola Tinubu, who wants a comprehensive investigation.

Who is on the panel? It is chaired by Jonathan Kure, retired Deputy Director General of the Department of State Services. Serving as secretary is Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma SAN, former Director General of the Nigerian Law School. Other members are retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma, Prof Olayinka Buhari, former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and the Niger State Government, Alhaji Liman Sulaiman of the Miners Association of Nigeria, human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi.

The incident happened on Thursday,y September 17 2026Thirty-sevenen detainees died inside the NSCDC Niger State Command facility. Cause of death is still unclear.

Niger State sits on huge gold deposits and has become a hotspot for artisanal mining. Much of it is informal and poorly regulated, with the Federal Government losing billions of naira annually to illegal mining. The NSCDC is mandated to protect critical national assets, including solid minerals, so arrests are common. What is not common is 37 people dying in custody at once.

These were not just numbers. They were breadwinners, sons, fathers and community members whose families are now demanding answers. Custodial deaths cut to the heart of human rights and due process. If suspects die before any proper investigation or trial, public trust in our security institutions collapses.

What will the committee actually do? It will probe how the arrests were made, the state of the detention facility, medical evidence and whether there was negligence, foul play or systemic failure. With a professor of Histopathology on the team, expect a full autopsy-led review.

Nigeria has seen custodial deaths spark outrage before, from police cells to correctional centres. What makes this case stand out is the scale. It is rare to have such a high number of deaths in a single incident involving a federal agency that is meant to protect lives.

The committee has two weeks to conclude and submit its report to the Minister. Tunji Ojo told members there is absolutely no excuse for justice not to be done and appealed for calm while the probe goes on. He also condoled with the families of the deceased.

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