The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says 33 people, including 14 minors, died in a preventable custodial tragedy at a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) detention facility in Niger State.

Tunji-Ojo disclosed this following the submission of a report by a 10-member independent investigative committee established on the directive of President Bola Tinubu to investigate the deaths.

In a statement, the minister said the committee identified severe overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, prolonged exposure to extreme heat and dehydration as the major factors responsible for the fatalities.

He said the investigation found that the deaths resulted from these conditions rather than any disease outbreak.

“As a government, the findings are clear and sobering. Thirty-three lives, including fourteen minors, were lost in what the Committee has established as a preventable custodial tragedy,” he said.

The minister said the report had been transmitted to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for immediate judicial action.

He added that officers who attempted to conceal, disrupt or destroy evidence would face immediate suspension and accountability.

According to him, the government will also implement comprehensive institutional reforms within the NSCDC to prevent a recurrence.

Tunji-Ojo reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring justice for the victims and their families, stressing that support for bereaved families and survivors remained a priority.

“In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this administration remains unwavering in its commitment that every Nigerian life matters and that justice must not only be done but must be seen to have been done,” he said.

The minister commended the committee for its diligence and professionalism, noting that it completed five weeks of fieldwork before submitting its findings.

The committee was chaired by Mr Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, while Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, served as secretary.

Other members included retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof. Olayinka Buhari, a professor of histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; and representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and the Niger State Government.

The committee also included Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju; Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi.

Tunji-Ojo said the committee’s work had demonstrated a commitment to accountability and justice, adding that the government would ensure that Nigerians received the justice they deserved.

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