The impartial ministerial committee investigating the deaths of 33 individuals within the custody of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, has urged the federal authorities to apologise to the bereaved households, survivors and Nigerians, describing the incident as a preventable custodial tragedy.
The committee advisable the formal apology following its investigation into the deaths, which included 14 minors, and attributed the incident to extreme overcrowding, illegal detention situations, failure of responsibility of care, ignored misery calls and wider institutional deficiencies.
Chairman of the committee, Jonathan Kure, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja whereas presenting the investigation report back to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
According to the committee, the tragedy uncovered critical failures in custodial administration, supervision and the safety of detainees’ basic rights.
The report acknowledged: “The committee concluded that the incident was a preventable custodial tragedy caused by severe overcrowding, unlawful and unsuitable detention conditions, failure of duty of care, disregard of repeated distress warnings, inadequate supervision, and wider systemic deficiencies.”
The panel stated its investigation didn’t help claims that the deaths resulted from a illness outbreak. Instead, accessible medical and forensic proof indicated acute respiratory failure in keeping with environmental asphyxia.
It recognized excessive warmth, insufficient air flow and dehydration as main contributing components, explaining that the detainees had been confined in a severely overcrowded cell for a chronic interval.
The committee established that roughly 50 male detainees have been held in a cell measuring about 20 sq. metres, with insufficient airflow, no operating water and no functioning bathroom.
It additional discovered that detainees repeatedly banged on the cell doorways and partitions, shouted for help and pleaded for water from shortly after 7 p.m. on September 16, 2026. However, officers allegedly failed to offer well timed intervention regardless of the deteriorating situations.
The deaths occurred between the night of September 16 and the morning of September 17, 2026, based on the investigation.
The committee authenticated 33 fatalities and recognized 41 survivors. It additionally established that 30 of the deceased had been buried earlier than the panel’s medical group arrived, limiting autopsy examinations to a few our bodies.
The committee additionally advisable academic help for dependants of the deceased, medical rehabilitation for survivors and psychological help for affected households.
On accountability, the panel advisable the dismissal of officers discovered principally accountable and prosecution for offences together with homicide, legal negligence, torture and inhuman therapy, the place relevant.
The committee concluded that , “the incident was a preventable custodial tragedy caused by severe overcrowding, unlawful and unsuitable detention conditions, failure of duty of care, disregard of repeated distress warnings, inadequate supervision, and wider systemic deficiencies.”
The chairman additional stated, “We urge the federal government to tender a formal apology to the bereaved families, the survivors and Nigerians at large, because this tragedy could have been avoided if not for the overzealousness of officers of the Niger State Command.”
The committee additional urged the federal authorities to overtake the NSCDC’s management and introduce customary detention amenities, CCTV monitoring, impartial custodial oversight and improved emergency medical response.
It stated the suggestions have been obligatory to make sure that no particular person detained by authorities safety companies was once more uncovered to situations able to inflicting preventable deaths.
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