The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member Independent Investigative Committee to investigate the reported deaths of 37 persons in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
The committee was inaugurated in Abuja on Tuesday by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tunji-Ojo charged the committee to conduct its assignment independently and without interference, stressing that its primary responsibility was to establish the truth surrounding the deaths and ensure justice for the families of the deceased.
He said the committee must be free from influences, persuasions and other considerations capable of derailing its investigation, adding that the nation owed the deceased and their families the truth.
The minister said the committee’s mandate included establishing the identities of the deceased, investigating the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention, and determining the causes and manner of their deaths through appropriate medical and forensic examinations.
It is also expected to determine whether negligence, misconduct, complicity or any breach of duty occurred, as well as recommend appropriate disciplinary measures, compensation where applicable and steps to prevent a recurrence.
Tunji-Ojo directed the NSCDC leadership and all relevant officers to cooperate fully with the investigation, while ordering the preservation and release of all records and material evidence connected with the incident.
He warned that attempts to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation would be treated as a serious offence.
“We owe you the truth. This committee will give you the truth. No officer, no matter how highly placed, will be shielded if found culpable,” the minister assured Nigerians.
The committee is chaired by Mr Jonathan Kure (rtd.), a former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, while Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), former Director-General of the Nigeria Law School, serves as Secretary.
Other members are retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof. Olayinka Buhari, Professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; Alhaji Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the Niger State Government; and retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Idris Kuta.
Others are Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Deji Adeyanju; Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and Dr George Agbakahi, a public affairs analyst.
Responding on behalf of the committee, Kure said the appointment was a call to national service rather than a privilege.
He assured Nigerians and the families of the deceased that members would approach the assignment with open minds and rely strictly on facts established during their investigation, rather than sentiment or media speculation.
The committee, which is expected to commence work immediately, is to submit its report within two weeks.
