Niger miners’ deaths: Panel assures families of fair investigation

The 10-member Independent Investigative Committee set up by the Federal Government to investigate the deaths of 37 artisanal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has assured the victims’ families that it will conduct a fair and independent investigation.

The committee gave the assurance when its chairman, retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Jonathan Kure, led members on a courtesy visit to Niger State Governor Umaru Bago at the Government House in Minna.

Kure said the committee had arrived in Niger State to begin the assignment given to it by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said the medical team attached to the committee had already started its work shortly after the panel was inaugurated.

He said the early commencement of the medical examination was important to preserve evidence and establish facts that could help explain the circumstances surrounding the miners’ deaths.

Kure promised the families of the victims that the committee would remain independent and handle the investigation fairly.

He said the panel would establish what went wrong and determine responsibility where necessary, while ensuring that people who were wrongly linked to the incident were treated fairly.

“We will do our best to unravel what went wrong and apportion blame where blame needs to go. Anybody who has been brought into this that has nothing to do with it, where we see it, we will also be fair to such a person,” Kure said.

The committee chairman also expressed his condolences to the Niger State Government and the people of the state, describing the incident as a serious concern for both Niger State and Nigeria.

Speaking, Governor Bago thanked the committee for visiting the state and promised that his administration would provide the necessary support to enable it to carry out its work. He expressed confidence in the committee.