A 10-member Independent Investigation Committee, chaired by Jonathan Kure, submitted a report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on October 27, 2026, revealing that the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siaka, attempted to conceal the deaths of 33 detainees. The committee found that the explanation initially presented by the Niger State NSCDC Command was not supported by medical findings. Instead, the investigation linked the deaths to severe overcrowding, poor ventilation, extreme heat, and dehydration inside the detention facility in Minna.
The investigation established that the deaths occurred after suspected illegal miners and other individuals were arrested during operations conducted by the Niger State NSCDC Command on September 15 and 16. The arrests followed complaints about mining activities around the M.I. Wushishi axis of the state. However, the committee found that the operation was conducted without adequate planning and the required involvement of specialised units. By the evening of September 16, about 75 people had reportedly been taken into custody.
The situation inside the detention centre became critical as approximately 50 male detainees were confined in a cell measuring about 20 square metres. The facility reportedly had inadequate ventilation, no running water, and no functioning toilet. The report also identified serious shortcomings in the provision of food and drinking water. Adults and minors were reportedly kept together in the same detention facility, despite the special protection requirements applicable to children.
Medical findings contradict the disease outbreak explanation, with the committee establishing that the available medical findings pointed to environmental asphyxia, a condition in which a person is deprived of sufficient oxygen. The condition was reportedly aggravated by extreme heat, dehydration, and prolonged confinement in an overcrowded space. Post-mortem examinations were conducted on only three of the deceased persons, with the remaining 30 victims having already been buried.
The committee identified several failures in the way the arrests and detention were handled by the state command. It discovered that the specialised Mining Marshals Unit was excluded from the operation, despite its responsibility for activities relating to mining enforcement. The committee also found that the command did not prepare a proper operational order or carry out the necessary planning before embarking on the exercise.
The NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi, condemned the deaths and rejected the explanation given by the Niger State commandant that a disease outbreak was responsible. He reportedly described the incident as an inexcusable "aberration". The committee's report noted that the protocols had previously been applied during a joint operation involving the Mining Marshals Unit in June, but the failure to adopt this procedure contributed to the circumstances that eventually resulted in the deaths.
Key points
- The investigation revealed that the suspended Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Siaka, attempted to conceal the deaths of 33 detainees by attributing the incident to a disease outbreak.
- The deaths were linked to severe overcrowding, poor ventilation, extreme heat, and dehydration inside the detention facility in Minna.
- The NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi, condemned the deaths and rejected the explanation given by the Niger State commandant.
