Federal panel given two weeks to investigate deaths of 37 Niger detainees

Nigeria’s Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 people suspected of illegal mining, Channels Television reports. The detainees died on September 17, 2026, while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps command in Niger State. Authorities have not established the cause of death, and the committee has been asked to examine both the immediate and wider circumstances.

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the government was determined to ensure justice for the deceased. He expressed condolences to their families and appealed for calm while the investigation proceeds. The committee is chaired by Jonathan Kure, a retired deputy director-general of the Department of State Services.

Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, a former director-general of the Nigerian Law School, is its secretary. Other named members include retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Hosea Hassan Karma and Professor Olayinka Buhari, a histopathology professor and former chief medical director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. Representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and the Niger State Government are also included.

The panel has two weeks to submit its report. The supplied report does not give further details about the deaths or the committee’s investigative procedures.