By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Federal Government has inaugurated a ten-member Independent Investigative Committee to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 37 people in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, with a mandate to establish the truth and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
The Committee, constituted on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, was inaugurated in Abuja on Tuesday, by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. The Minister charged members to operate with complete independence, free from any influence, persuasion or distraction that could derail the search for the true root of the matter, stating that justice is the debt the nation owes the families of the deceased.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo commended President Tinubu for his personal concern over the matter and for promptly ordering the Committee’s constitution. He paid tribute to the members, many of whom have given between 35 and 40 years of distinguished service to the nation, and thanked them for answering a fresh national call despite their retirement.
Inaugurating the panel on behalf of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the minister urged members to work in honour of the deceased and in the interest of lasting peace across the country.
The Committee’s mandate includes establishing the identities of the deceased, investigating the circumstances of their arrest and detention, determining the cause and manner of death through medical and forensic examination, ascertaining whether negligence, misconduct or complicity occurred, and recommending disciplinary action, compensation where applicable, and measures to prevent a recurrence.
The Minister directed the leadership of the NSCDC and all relevant officers to cooperate fully with the Committee, stressing that all records and material evidence connected to the incident must be preserved. He warned that any attempt 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,” he said.
The Committee is chaired by Jonathan Kure (Rtd.), Deputy Director General of the Department of State Services, with Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), former Director-General of the Nigeria Law School, as Secretary.
Other members are Hosea Hassan Karma (Rtd.), a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police; Prof. Olayinka Buhari, a professor of histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; Alhaji Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the Niger State Government; Alhaji Idris Kuta, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary; Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; Mr Deji Adeyanju, a lawyer and human rights activist; Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and Dr. George Agbakahi, a public affairs analyst.
Responding on behalf of the Committee, Chairman Jonathan Kure described the appointment as a call to national service rather than a privilege. He assured Nigerians and the grieving families that the panel would approach its assignment with open minds, uninfluenced by sentiment or media speculation, and would report findings based strictly on facts established in the field.
In a vote of thanks, Secretary Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma thanked President Tinubu and the Minister for the confidence reposed in the Committee, and reaffirmed its commitment to an independent, impartial and fair inquiry.
The Committee is expected to begin work immediately and submit its report within two weeks.
