Niger miners’ deaths: Committee recommends N1.4bn compensation, dismissal of personnel

By Omeiza Ajayi & Enitan Abdultawab The independent ministerial committee investigating the recent deaths of 33 persons in the custody of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC in Minna, Niger State, has recommended compensation amounting to N1.4 billion to families of the victims. In the Executive Summary by the chairman of the Committee, Jonathan Kure, on Tuesday in Abuja when he presented the report to the Minister of Interior, Hon.

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the committee, which said the deaths were “entirely preventable”, also recommended summary dismissal of personnel whose actions directly caused the deaths of the suspects. It partly reads, “The committee recommends a restitution of the NSCDCD in order to carry out their reforms. The NDSCD also recommends a restitutive package, a compensation of 30m for each of the 33 bereaved families and 10m to each of the 41 survivors, representing a total compensation package of 1.4 billion naira.” “Additional measures include educational support for dependents of deceased victims, medical rehabilitation of survivors, psychological support for affected families, and a formal apology by the federal government.” It recommended administrative sanctions for personnel who failed in their duties but whose actions or inactions were not directly responsible for the deaths.

It added that “fatalities resulted from environmental asphyxia caused by oroloneged confinement in a severely overcrowded cell aggravated by heat stress and dehydration.” According to the committee, the operation which led to the arrest of the suspects was without an “operational order” or approval from the national headquarters of the NSCDC.