Nigeria: 21 agents suspended, independent investigation into 37 deaths in Minna

The Nigerian government has suspended 21 agents from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps following the deaths of 37 individuals in custody in Minna. On Saturday, September 19, it also established a ten-member independent commission tasked with determining the causes and responsibilities surrounding the incident.

The 20 new suspensions add to the one of the NSCDC commander in Niger State, which was decided the day before. The list published by the presidency includes guards, arrest and investigation officials, as well as a legal officer from the corps.

The 37 individuals were detained following operations against alleged illegal mining conducted on September 15 and 16. The cause of death, discovered on September 17, has not yet been established. The NSCDC had mentioned a possible disease outbreak, while survivors interviewed by the Associated Press reported a lack of air in an overcrowded cell.

The commission is tasked with identifying the victims, reconstructing the circumstances of their arrest and detention, establishing the cause of death, and determining any potential responsibilities, complicity, negligence, or wrongdoing. It may also recommend sanctions and compensation where warranted.

The committee is chaired by Jonathan Kure, former deputy director-general of the Department of State Services, with Isa Hayatu Chiroma, former director-general of the Nigerian Law School, serving as secretary. It also includes a specialist in histopathology, a former senior police official, representatives from the Minna emirate and Niger State, as well as a representative of miners, a human rights lawyer, a journalist, and a public affairs analyst.

Bola Tinubu ordered a thorough and transparent investigation on September 18, asserting that an administrative suspension could not replace the establishment of potential criminal liability. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the preservation of all documents and material evidence related to the case. The commission has two weeks to submit its report.