NSCDC Custody Deaths of 33 Suspects Attributed to Asphyxia

A ministerial committee investigating the deaths of 33 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, concluded that the victims died from suffocation caused by overcrowding and poor ventilation in their cell. The report was submitted to Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in Abuja.

Committee chairman Jonathan Kure stated that medical and forensic evidence ruled out disease outbreaks as the cause of death, identifying environmental asphyxia as the primary factor. The panel held NSCDC officials accountable for failing to provide adequate care and supervision.

The report indicated that the NSCDC conducted the arrests without operational orders from its national headquarters. Evidence was gathered from various sources, including NSCDC leadership, health workers, and survivors.

The committee interviewed 29 of the 41 survivors, including nine minors, and reviewed multiple records to determine the circumstances leading to the deaths.