BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

An independent ministerial committee investigating the deaths of 33 detainees in the custody of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, has accused personnel at the state command of cleaning, disinfecting and altering the detention facility before independent forensic investigators arrived.

The panel said the actions compromised aspects of the forensic examination and raised serious concerns about how evidence was preserved following the incident.

Chairman of the committee, Jonathan Kure, disclosed the findings on Tuesday in Abuja while presenting the investigation report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

According to the report, investigators encountered a detention area that had already been cleaned, disinfected and altered, limiting their ability to examine the scene in its original condition.

The committee also identified the missing detention register for September 16, 2026, as a major obstacle to establishing a complete account of events. It listed overcrowding, alleged abuse of authority, failure to respond promptly to emergency alerts and other operational lapses among the factors that contributed to the deaths.

The investigation further revealed that 30 of the 33 deceased detainees had already been buried before the committee’s medical team arrived, leaving only three bodies available for post-mortem examinations.

Despite these limitations, the panel said evidence obtained from survivors, NSCDC personnel, medical workers, documentary records and other witnesses was sufficient to establish the essential facts surrounding the incident.

The committee confirmed 33 deaths and identified 41 survivors, including nine minors among those interviewed. Fourteen of the deceased were also minors, highlighting the presence of children among those held at the facility.

Its findings painted a troubling picture of detention conditions, with approximately 50 male detainees reportedly confined in a cell measuring about 20 square metres.

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The panel said the overcrowded space was poorly ventilated and that repeated distress calls from detainees did not receive timely responses, despite warnings that conditions inside the cell were deteriorating.

Medical and forensic findings indicated that the deaths resulted from acute respiratory failure consistent with environmental asphyxia, aggravated by extreme heat, dehydration and inadequate ventilation.

Beyond the physical conditions of detention, the committee identified serious leadership and supervisory failures within the Niger State Command, raising questions about the handling of detainees and the response to the emergency.

It recommended the dismissal of officers found principally responsible for the incident, alongside prosecution where criminal offences had been established. The panel also called for further investigations into allegations of extortion and the mismanagement of exhibits.

Among its proposed reforms were stricter evidence-preservation procedures, accurate detention records, CCTV monitoring and regular independent inspections of custodial facilities.

The committee also advocated a comprehensive restructuring of NSCDC leadership and stronger accountability mechanisms to prevent future investigations from being undermined by failures to secure evidence.

It said the tragedy exposed the urgent need for institutional reforms, accountability for officers found culpable and strict enforcement of standards governing the treatment and detention of suspects.

The report places renewed focus on the responsibility of security agencies to protect people in their custody and the need for transparent investigations whenever deaths occur in detention.