The Federal Government has set up a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 alleged illegal miners in Niger State.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed this in an announcement on Saturday in Abuja.
The committee is chaired by Jonathan Kure, a retired deputy director with the Department of State Services (DSS), with Prof. Isa Chiroma (SAN), a former Director-General of the Nigeria Law School, as Secretary, and Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Hosea Karma.
Also in the committee is the former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and Proffesor of Histopathology, Olayinka Buhari.
Miners Association of Nigeria, National Secretary, Liman Sulaiman, Human rights activist and Lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, Public Affairs analyst, Dr George Agbakahi, Journalist Zainab Okino and two representatives from Niger state are also members of the committee.
Dateline Nigeria reports that the miners died while in the custody of the state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Tunji-Ojo also ordered the immediate suspension of 20 officers involved in the incident pending the conclusion of investigation by the independent committee.
The state Commandant of the corps, Suberu Anibiye, had earlier been suspended by the NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi.
The minister explained that the action followed the directive by President Bola Tinubu for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation into the incident.
He said the committee had two weeks to complete its work and submit its report.
Tunji-Ojo urged the NSCDC leadership and all relevant officers to cooperate fully with the committee.
He directed that all records and material evidence connected to the incident be preserved and made available to the investigators.
“Any attempt to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation will be treated as a serious offence,” he warned.
The minister who described the incident as deeply disturbing, said the government owed the families of the deceased and the Nigerian public a transparent account of the events leading to their deaths.
He extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and appealed for calm while the investigation continued.