Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured the families of 37 miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State that the federal government will establish the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and prosecute anyone found responsible.
The miners died on September 17 after being detained on suspicion of illegal mining. The precise cause of their deaths has not yet been established.
Shettima gave the assurance during a condolence visit to Minna, where he conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s sympathies to Governor Mohammed Bago, the bereaved families and residents of the state. He also announced a federal government donation of N250 million to the affected families.
The vice president said the president had ordered a comprehensive investigation and that an independent ten member committee had been established. Officers connected with the incident were also suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry.
Shettima said being in government custody did not remove a citizen’s right to protection, dignity and due process. He stressed that official uniforms could not shield anyone from accountability where wrongdoing was established.
He said the administration would not prejudge the investigation but expected the panel to determine the facts, establish responsibility and recommend measures capable of preventing a recurrence.
The committee is chaired by retired Deputy Director General of the Department of State Services Jonathan Kure, while former Director General of the Nigerian Law School Isa Hayatu Chiroma serves as secretary.
Shettima said the case raised broader questions about the responsibility of law enforcement agencies to protect people in their custody. He pledged that families would receive answers and that anyone found culpable would face the law.
Bago thanked the vice president for visiting the state and said the gesture demonstrated federal solidarity with the bereaved families. State officials described the deaths as a tragedy affecting not only individual households but communities across Niger State.
After the visit, Shettima travelled to Maiduguri to condole with Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum over the death of his niece, Amina Zulum.
