Niger Miners’ Death: CSOs Ask Tinubu To Remove Deji Adeyanju From Probe Panel

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove Barrister Deji Adeyanju from the presidential probe panel investigating the deaths of illegal miners in Niger State.

The coalition made the call in a statement issued to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja by the National Coordinator of the Solid Hands Empowerment Initiative for the Development of Rural Areas, Comrade Ogunleye Gbolabo.

The Federal Government had constituted a 10-member independent committee following President Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive investigation into the deaths, which occurred on September 17, 2026, while the suspects were in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The committee, chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, is expected to establish the identities of the deceased and investigate the circumstances surrounding their arrest, detention and deaths.

Gbolabo said the CSOs were concerned about Adeyanju’s conduct since his appointment to the probe panel, describing the investigation as a sensitive national assignment that requires integrity, maturity, focus and coordination.

According to him, members of the presidential probe panel are expected to demonstrate restraint, neutrality and professionalism throughout the investigation.

He said the committee was given a two-week mandate to conduct a comprehensive investigation and submit its findings to President Tinubu.

Gbolabo added that members were expected to discharge their responsibilities diligently and independently, without bias, external influence or compromise.

The coalition argued that members of a high-level presidential investigation should refrain from making public comments or granting media interviews while the investigation is ongoing.

It maintained that where official communication becomes necessary, the chairman of the committee should speak on behalf of the panel.

Gbolabo alleged that Adeyanju had continued to engage with the media, making public pronouncements and expressing positions while the investigation was still ongoing.

He argued that such conduct could prejudice the investigation and undermine confidence in the neutrality of the probe panel.

The CSOs further warned that public comments by a sitting member of the committee could create perceptions of bias, heighten tensions and weaken public confidence in the panel’s eventual findings.

The coalition also claimed that such conduct could expose the investigation to accusations of bias and provide grounds for affected parties to challenge or reject the committee’s findings.

According to Gbolabo, the alleged actions could also create internal disagreements within the panel and give the impression that one member was attempting to overshadow the chairman and other members.

He stressed that a presidential investigation requires teamwork, confidentiality and discipline, adding that conduct perceived as self-promotion could undermine the integrity of the process.

The coalition therefore appealed to President Tinubu to remove Adeyanju from the Niger miners’ death probe panel, saying the move would help protect the credibility and integrity of the investigation and ensure that its findings command the confidence of stakeholders.

The CSOs said they were awaiting the committee’s report and urged its members to remain neutral, professional and committed to establishing the facts surrounding the deaths.

They, however, warned that if the work of the probe panel was compromised, the coalition would reject its report.