Minna Mining Deaths: FG Panel Seeks Two-Week Extension, Flags Institutional Gaps, Officer Overzealousness

Toyyibat Qasim

The Federal Government-appointed panel investigating the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has sought and secured a two-week extension to complete its investigation.

The 10-member independent committee, which was originally expected to submit its report on Wednesday, October 7, said it needed additional time to scrutinise a large volume of evidence and obtain outstanding forensic and pathology reports crucial to determining the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Chairman of the committee and retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists on the progress of the investigation.

Kure said the panel had made “appreciable progress” since its inauguration but could not responsibly conclude its assignment within the initial timeframe.

The extension, he said, had been approved by the Federal Government.

The committee’s investigation has taken it to Minna, Niger State, where it inspected the facility in which the suspected miners were detained.

It also conducted autopsies, interviewed NSCDC personnel, survivors, relatives of the deceased and other witnesses, while collecting documentary and forensic evidence connected with the deaths.

However, the panel chairman disclosed that its preliminary findings had raised concerns about institutional weaknesses and what he described as overzealousness on the part of some officers.

According to Kure, the preliminary findings also pointed to the need for greater professionalism in the handling of sensitive cases involving detainees.

The disclosure is expected to heighten public interest in the final report, particularly over the circumstances that led to the deaths of the 37 detainees while in the custody of a government security agency.

Kure, however, cautioned that the preliminary observations should not be treated as the committee’s final verdict.

He explained that the panel was still reviewing a substantial volume of testimony and documentary evidence and awaiting forensic and pathology reports that would be critical to establishing the causes of death.

He added that the committee also needed to give every person implicated in the matter, including NSCDC officers who had already been suspended, an opportunity to respond to the allegations against them.

The chairman said this was necessary to ensure that the final findings and recommendations could withstand scrutiny and command public confidence.

“We have made appreciable progress, but there are still important aspects of the investigation that require careful attention before we can submit our report,” Kure said.

He assured Nigerians that the committee would conduct the investigation thoroughly and independently, stressing that its final report would be based on evidence gathered during the exercise.

The deaths of the suspected miners have generated concerns over custodial conditions, the conduct of security personnel and the protection of the rights of detainees in government custody.

The panel’s decision to seek additional time therefore means Nigerians will have to wait longer for an authoritative account of what happened to the 37 men and whether any individuals or institutions should be held responsible.

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