Niger Miners’ Deaths: Panel Recommends N1.4bn Compensation For Bereaved Families, Survivors

The independent ministerial committee investigating the deaths of 33 persons in the custody of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, has recommended N1.4 billion in compensation for the victims’ families and survivors.

The committee also recommended the dismissal of personnel whose actions directly led to the deaths, describing the incident as “entirely preventable”.

Chairman of the committee, Jonathan Kure, presented the report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday in Abuja.

In the executive summary, the committee proposed N30 million for each of the 33 bereaved families and N10 million for each of the 41 survivors, bringing the total compensation package to N1.4 billion.

It also recommended educational support for the dependants of deceased victims, medical rehabilitation for survivors, psychological support for affected families and a formal apology by the Federal Government.

The committee further called for administrative sanctions against personnel who failed in their duties but whose actions or inactions were not directly responsible for the deaths.

On the cause of the fatalities, the report stated that “fatalities resulted from environmental asphyxia caused by prolonged confinement in a severely overcrowded cell aggravated by heat stress and dehydration.”

It also found that the operation leading to the suspects’ arrest was conducted without an “operational order” or approval from the NSCDC national headquarters.

The committee recommended reforms within the corps to address the lapses that contributed to the incident.