The Federal Government committee investigating the deaths of 37 people in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) custody in Minna, Niger State, has requested an additional two weeks to complete its investigation.
The committee chairman, retired Department of State Services Deputy Director-General Jonathan Kure, disclosed this on Tuesday, in Abuja.
The panel was initially expected to submit its report on October 7 but said it needs more time to review evidence and obtain outstanding forensic and pathology reports.
Kure said the committee had inspected the custody facility in Minna, conducted autopsies and interviewed NSCDC personnel, survivors, families of the deceased and other witnesses.
The committee has also collected documentary and forensic evidence as part of its investigation.
According to Kure, preliminary findings indicated institutional gaps and overzealousness by some officers, but the panel has not completed its investigation or issued its final conclusions.
He said the additional time would allow the committee to review the evidence and give people implicated in the incident, including suspended officers, an opportunity to respond.
The Federal Government has approved the requested extension, according to the committee chairman. The new proposed deadline is October 21, 2026.
The committee was established after the reported deaths of 37 people detained at an NSCDC facility in Minna on suspicion of illegal mining.
The Ministry of Interior had earlier said the panel’s mandate included establishing the identities of the deceased, investigating the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention, determining the cause and manner of death through medical and forensic examination, and determining whether negligence, misconduct, complicity or other breaches of duty occurred.
The ministry also said officers involved in the incident had been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
The final report is expected to contain the committee’s findings and recommendations on responsibility, possible disciplinary action and measures to prevent a recurrence.