NSCDC DETENTION DEATHS: MINISTERIAL PANEL IDENTIFIES POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS;

“Panel Blames Overcrowding, Poor Conditions and Lack of Care”

An independent ministerial committee investigating the deaths of 33 persons in the custody of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, has identified overcrowding, unsuitable detention conditions, inadequate supervision and alleged failure of duty of care as factors that may have contributed to the fatalities.

The committee’s chairman, Jonathan Kure, disclosed the findings on Tuesday while presenting the investigation report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

According to the committee’s findings, the detainees were reportedly exposed to extreme heat and dehydration in an overcrowded detention facility, conditions the panel said could have compromised their ability to breathe and survive.

The committee also reported that the operation leading to the arrests was conducted without an operational order or approval from the NSCDC national headquarters.

The findings raise questions about the circumstances surrounding the arrests, the conditions under which the detainees were held and whether established operational procedures and detention safeguards were followed.

However, the findings presented by the committee should be distinguished from any subsequent legal determination of individual or institutional responsibility.

The information provided does not establish whether any official has been formally charged, disciplined or found legally liable in connection with the deaths.

Further details regarding the committee’s recommendations and any actions to be taken by the Ministry of Interior or the NSCDC were not included in the available account.