Isiyaku Ahmed
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, on Tuesday inaugurated a nine-member Commission of Inquiry to investigate the deaths of 37 persons who reportedly died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command.
The commission was inaugurated at the Government House, Minna, shortly after its members were sworn in by Justice Muhammad S.A. Muhammad of the Niger State High Court, who is also the chairman of the panel.
According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Bologi Ibrahim, Governor Bago congratulated the members and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them, stressing that the commission had four weeks to complete its assignment and submit its findings.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Nasir Mu’azu, said the governor was empowered by relevant laws to establish the commission, including the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Tribunal of Inquiry Act and Section 2 of the Commission of Inquiry Law, Cap. 27, Laws of Niger State, 1989.
Mu’azu said the commission was established in response to public concerns over the deaths, stressing that the allegation that the victims were illegal miners did not diminish their fundamental rights or the state’s obligation to protect their lives.
He, however, clarified that the commission’s mandate was not to determine the administrative conduct of NSCDC officers or recommend disciplinary measures against them, but to investigate events within the purview and powers of the Niger State Government.
The terms of reference include investigating the legality of the arrests and detention of the victims, their conditions and treatment in custody, and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The commission is also expected to examine the responsibility and accountability of relevant officers, as well as medical and forensic evidence, before making findings and recommendations.
Other members of the commission are the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Minna Branch, Mohammed Ibrahim Ndamitso; Permanent Secretary, Public Service, Dr Joseph Kolo; Chief Magistrate Hafsat Abdullahi; Prof. Danladi Yunusa Hakimi, representing the Minna Emirate; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mineral Resources, Dr Abubakar Sadiq Musa; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Habila Daniel; civil society representative, Nana Hauwa Isah; and mining sector representative, Babangida Sani Muj.
