Nigeria Recommends N1.4 Billion Compensation After 33 Custody Deaths

An independent ministerial committee has recommended N1.4 billion in compensation for the families and survivors of suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State. Jonathan Kure, the committee chairman, presented the findings to Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in Abuja, concluding that the deaths were entirely preventable.

The investigation determined that 33 victims died from environmental asphyxia caused by prolonged confinement in a severely overcrowded cell, worsened by heat stress and dehydration. The panel explicitly rejected previous claims by the NSCDC that a disease outbreak caused the fatalities. Furthermore, the report revealed that the operation leading to the arrests was unauthorized and lacked an operational order from the NSCDC national headquarters.

The committee recommended N30 million for each bereaved family and N10 million for each of the 41 survivors. Additional recommendations include the summary dismissal and prosecution of responsible officers, a formal apology from the Federal Government, and a comprehensive overhaul of the agency's leadership. While the government has already suspended senior NSCDC officials, the incident has sparked nationwide protests over the treatment of suspects in Nigerian detention facilities.