The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has inaugurated a 10-member Independent Investigative Committee, constituted on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 37 people in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) custody in Niger State, and to recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
Speaking at the inauguration held in Abuja Tuesday, 22nd September, 2026, the Minister stated that the Committee must operate with complete independence, free from any influences, persuasions, or overtures and scenarios that might derail it from establishing the true root of the matter. He stated that the best gift the nation could offer the families of the deceased at this time is justice, describing it as the debt the country owes to Nigerians who lost their lives.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo commended President Tinubu for his personal concern over the matter and for promptly directing the constitution of the Committee. He paid tribute to the calibre of the appointed members, noting that many of them have given between 35 and 40 years of distinguished, high-integrity service to the nation, and thanked them for heeding this fresh national call despite their retirement. Inaugurating the Committee on behalf of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Minister charged members to work in honour of the deceased and in the interest of lasting peace across Nigeria, and prayed that God grant them the wisdom, strength, and courage to do what is right.
The Minister outlined the Committee’s mandate as follows:
- Establish the identities of the deceased;
- Investigate and document the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention;
- Establish, through appropriate medical and forensic examination, the cause and manner of death;
- Determine whether negligence, misconduct, complicity or any breach of duty occurred; and
- Recommend appropriate disciplinary action, compensation where applicable, and measures to prevent a recurrence.
He directed the leadership of the NSCDC and all relevant officers to cooperate fully with the Committee, and stressed that all records and material evidence connected to the incident must be preserved and made available. He warned that any attempt to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses, or obstruct the investigation will 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,” Minister assured Nigerians.
While the Independent Investigative Committee is to be chaired by Mr Jonathan Kure, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN) is to serve as Secretary.
Kure is a retired Deputy Director General of Department of State Services while Chiroma is a former Director-General of the Nigeria Law School.
Other members of the Committee are Hosea Hassan Karma (Rtd. AIG), Prof. Olayinka Buhari, Professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; Alhaji Abubakar Usman, Secretary to Niger State Government; Alhaji Idris Kuta, Retired Federal Permanent Secretary; Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary, Miners Association of Nigeria; Mr Deji Adeyanju, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist; Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino, Blueprint Newspaper, who is the lone female member of the Committee; and Dr. George Agbakahi, Public Affairs Analyst.
Responding on behalf of the Committee, the Chairman, Mr Jonathan Kure, described the appointment not as a privilege but as a call to national service. He assured Nigerians and the grieving families that the Committee would approach its assignment with open minds, uninfluenced by sentiment or media speculation, and would return with findings drawn strictly from the facts established in the field. He pledged that the Committee’s integrity would remain intact throughout the exercise and expressed confidence in the Committee’s ability to carry out its mandate.