NSCDC Cell Was Washed, Disinfected, Renumbered Before Inspection Into 33 Miners’ Deaths –Probe Panel Report | Sahara Reporters

The findings represent a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the deaths of 33 suspected illegal miners who died in September 2026 while in the custody of the NSCDC Niger State Command in Minna.

An independent investigation committee has found that the detention cells at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Niger State Command in Minna were washed, scrubbed and altered before independent investigators inspected the facility following the deaths of 33 detainees.

The chairman of the investigative committee and retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Jonathan Kure, presented the panel’s report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The findings represent a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the deaths of 33 suspected illegal miners who died in September 2026 while in the custody of the NSCDC Niger State Command in Minna.

The victims were among dozens of suspects arrested during operations targeting illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto communities of Niger State on 15 and 16 September.

Their deaths sparked widespread public outrage and intensified scrutiny of detention conditions, the treatment of suspects in security agencies’ custody, and the circumstances that led to the mass fatalities.

In response, the Federal Government, acting on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, established a 10-member independent investigative committee to determine the cause of the deaths and ascertain whether negligence, misconduct, or other forms of wrongdoing contributed to the incident.

The committee was also tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the victims’ arrest and detention, recommending appropriate disciplinary actions, identifying cases where compensation may be warranted, and proposing measures to prevent a recurrence.

According to the report submitted to the Federal Ministry of Interior, the deaths occurred between the evening of 16 September and the morning of 17 September 2026, after officers allegedly failed to respond adequately to repeated distress calls from detainees struggling to breathe in an overcrowded and poorly ventilated cell.

The committee concluded that the deaths were preventable, describing the incident as a tragic consequence of severe overcrowding, unlawful detention conditions, the denial of basic necessities, and failures in supervision and oversight.

The committee said the cells were cleaned and disinfected, additional vents were introduced and cell numbers were painted above the doors before its inspection, raising concerns about the preservation of the scene.

The deaths occurred between September 16 and 17, 2026, after detainees were held in an overcrowded cell under conditions the committee described as unlawful and unsuitable.

The report identified the cleaning and alteration of the detention area as a major concern because the changes affected the independent examination of the scene.

It stated that, after the deaths, “the cell was washed and altered before independent inspection. Cells were also re-numbered.”

The committee also found that the detention register for September 16, when most of the detainees were arrested, was unavailable.

According to the report, the cells had been scrubbed clean and modified before the committee’s visit on September 25. Investigators compared the facility with earlier photographs and first-responder images to document the changes.

The report identified Superintendent of Corps Ndamaka Isah Usman, the officer in charge of cell guards, as having led the cleaning and alteration of the scene.

It accused him of “cleaning, scrubbing and chemical disinfection of the crime scene altering the scene of the incident.”

The report also cited the testimony of Chief Superintendent of Corps Annas Lamino Shittu, who said he saw Usman and four others washing after the incident and tampering with the scene before independent forensic examiners arrived.

The committee said the unavailable detention register and the alterations to the cells affected aspects of the forensic assessment.

Thirty of the 33 deceased detainees had been buried before the medical team arrived, leaving only three bodies available for post-mortem examinations.

Medical evidence from those examinations indicated that the victims died from acute respiratory failure consistent with environmental asphyxia. Severe overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, heat exposure and dehydration were identified as the principal contributing factors.

The report concluded that the deaths were preventable and recommended disciplinary and legal action against officers found responsible for misconduct.

It also called for improvements in detention procedures, record-keeping, supervision and the preservation of evidence in cases involving deaths in custody.