Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has inaugurated a nine-member judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 37 miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state.
The commission was inaugurated at the Government House in Minna, shortly after its members were sworn in by Justice Muhammad Muhammad of the Niger State High Court, who also serves as Chairman of the commission.
Governor Bago urged the members to justify the confidence reposed in them by the state government and the people of Niger State.
He said the commission had been given four weeks to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and submit its findings and recommendations.
The Niger State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Nasir Mu’azu, said the governor was empowered under relevant laws, including the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Tribunal of Inquiry Act of the Federation and, particularly, Section 2 of the Commission of Inquiry Law, Cap 27, Laws of Niger State 1989, to establish the commission.
Mu’azu explained that the commission was established in response to public concern over the deaths, stressing that the alleged status of the victims as illegal miners did not diminish their fundamental rights or the state’s responsibility to protect their lives.
He clarified that the commission’s mandate was not to determine administrative sanctions or punishments for officers, but to establish the facts surrounding the incident within the purview and powers of the Niger State Government.
The terms of reference include investigating the circumstances of the arrest and legality of the victims’ detention, the conditions and treatment they received while in custody, and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The commission is also expected to examine issues of responsibility and accountability, as well as medical and forensic evidence, before making its findings and recommendations.
Other members include the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Minna Branch, Mohammed Ndamitso; Permanent Secretary, Public Service, Joseph Kolo; Chief Magistrate Hafsat Abdullahi; and Danladi Hakimi, representing the Minna Emirate.
Others are the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mineral Resources, Abubakar Musa; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Habila Daniel; a civil society organisation representative, Nana Isah; and Babangida Sani, representing the mining sector.
One of the survivors alleged that the suspects were kept in a small room, where an unpleasant substance was sprayed before the cell was locked.
The death of the miners sparked a protest in the state, prompting Governor Bago to declare a 24-hour curfew in Minna, the state capital.
Following the incident, President Bola Tinubu ordered a full and transparent investigation, saying that the government would not tolerate mass deaths arising from official negligence, dereliction of duty, or failure by public officials to protect the lives placed under their care.
Last Saturday, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the suspension of 20 NSCDC officers in connection with the reported deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners.
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