A fresh investigation has revealed how the suspended Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Siaka, allegedly attempted to conceal the deaths of 33 detainees by attributing the incident to a disease outbreak.
The revelation was contained in a report submitted by a 10-member Independent Investigation Committee to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on October 27, 2026.
The committee, chaired by Jonathan Kure, found that the explanation initially presented by the Niger State NSCDC Command was not supported by the medical findings.
Instead, the investigation linked the deaths to severe overcrowding, poor ventilation, extreme heat and dehydration inside the detention facility in Minna.
According to the report, the state commandant personally prepared and released a statement claiming that an outbreak of disease was responsible for the deaths.
The committee described the statement as an attempt to mislead the public and divert attention from the actual circumstances surrounding the incident.
The panel further stated that the commandant had expressed shock following the development and contacted the NSCDC Commandant General, the Niger State governor and other security agencies.
However, rather than provide an accurate account of what happened inside the detention facility, he allegedly issued a public statement blaming a disease outbreak.
“He also personally issued a public press release attributing the 33 deaths to a ‘disease outbreak’ to conceal the custodial tragedy,” the report stated.
It added that the commandant subsequently attributed the incident to failures by his subordinates and expressed regret over the development.
The investigation also 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. After one person was released, 74 detainees remained at the command facility overnight.
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.
The committee said the conditions created an environment in which detainees were exposed to extreme heat, dehydration and insufficient oxygen.
Medical findings contradict disease outbreak explanation
In examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths, the committee relied on medical examinations, witness accounts and evidence gathered from the detention facility.
It established 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.
The panel explained that post-mortem examinations were conducted on only three of the deceased persons. They were identified as Emmanuel Emeka, Kabiru Suleiman and Idris Haruna.
The remaining 30 victims had already been buried before the pathology team arrived, making it impossible to conduct similar examinations on their bodies.
“Autopsy and histology reports are most consistent with death from environmental hypoxia (asphyxia) during confinement in a severely overcrowded, poorly ventilated cell,” the report stated.
Although the committee could not medically establish the individual causes of death of the 30 unexamined victims, it said the circumstances surrounding their deaths suggested that they were exposed to the same conditions as the three who underwent post-mortem examinations.
The investigation also indicated that infection, natural diseases, physical trauma and custodial violence were unlikely to have caused the cluster of deaths.
However, the medical conclusions remain provisional pending the outcome of toxicology examinations.
Beyond the medical findings, 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.
Furthermore, the officers allegedly ignored established Standard Operating Procedures and the Open Detention protocols designed to prevent overcrowding during operations involving large numbers of suspects.
The report noted that the protocols had previously been applied during a joint operation involving the Mining Marshals Unit in June.
Under the arrangement, suspects who exceed the available cell capacity are supposed to be held in a secured and properly ventilated open area rather than being forced into overcrowded cells.
The committee said the failure to adopt this procedure contributed to the circumstances that eventually resulted in the deaths.
It also raised concerns about the handling of evidence after the incident.
According to the report, the detention register for September 16 could not be found. The committee further discovered that officers had allegedly altered the detention facility before independent forensic investigations could be conducted.
“The cells were fraudulently re-numbered,” the committee stated, adding that the facility had been scrubbed, washed and disinfected.
On allegations that detainees were physically assaulted during their arrest and detention, the committee said the available post-mortem findings did not establish physical assault, blunt-force injuries or custodial violence as the immediate cause of the deaths.
Nevertheless, survivors reportedly gave accounts of being beaten at the mining locations during their arrest.
NSCDC Commandant General rejects disease outbreak claim
The report also detailed the reaction of the NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi, following the incident.
According to the committee, Mr 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” and maintained that the national headquarters had no prior knowledge of the mass arrests and detention operation.
The commandant general told the committee that the Niger State commandant had acted without obtaining the necessary clearance from the national headquarters and should therefore be held responsible for his decisions.
The report further disclosed that Mr Audi directed the National Public Relations Officer of the corps to issue a response contradicting the statement released by the Niger State command.
“He officially debunked CC Suberu’s fabricated press release claiming a ‘disease outbreak,’ ordering the National PRO to rebut it, noting ‘we cannot defend illegality’,” the report stated.
He also reportedly maintained that the Open Detention arrangement should have been used once the number of arrested persons exceeded the available capacity of the detention cells.
The findings further established that the tragedy involved more than the deaths of suspected illegal miners, as several of those arrested were reportedly displaced persons who had fled their communities because of bandit attacks.
According to a separate account of the committee’s findings, some of the detainees came from communities in Shiroro, Munya, Rafi and Mariga Local Government Areas of Niger State.
The report indicated that bandit attacks had forced residents to abandon their homes and agricultural activities. Some subsequently turned to artisanal mining as a means of survival.
The investigation also raised questions about the decision to detain children alongside adults.
Fourteen of the 33 deceased persons were confirmed to be minors, while nine minors were identified among the 41 survivors.
The committee condemned the practice, noting that holding children with adult detainees violated child-protection requirements and established detention procedures.
Committee recommends prosecution and compensation
Following its findings, the committee recommended disciplinary measures and possible legal action against officers found responsible for the incident.
It called for the dismissal and prosecution of officers whose actions or negligence contributed to the deaths.
The recommendations also covered compensation for the families of the deceased and support for those who survived the incident.
The committee proposed N30 million for each of the 33 families who lost loved ones and N10 million for each of the 41 survivors.
The proposed compensation amounts to approximately N1.4 billion.
It also recommended educational assistance for children and other dependants of the deceased, medical rehabilitation for survivors and psychological support for families affected by the incident.
The panel further called for improvements in the NSCDC’s detention facilities, better supervision of officers and stricter enforcement of operational guidelines.
