Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has defended his decision to join the Federal Government’s panel investigating the deaths of 37 people in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) custody in Niger State, saying his priority is to ensure that the victims get justice.
Adeyanju, who is one of 10 members of the investigative committee, said he did not regard his membership as a government appointment because he accepted the role to represent the interests of those who died.
Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, he pledged to expose any attempt to conceal evidence or suppress findings from the investigation.
He also questioned the description of the deceased as illegal miners before the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention have been fully established. According to him, the investigation should identify the owner of the mining site and establish what happened from the point of arrest to the deaths in custody.
Adeyanju said the panel must determine how the detainees were held, including the size and ventilation of the cell, detention records and whether anyone was kept beyond the constitutionally prescribed period without a court order. He further said the committee would examine NSCDC detention facilities and investigate whether similar incidents had occurred previously without being reported.
The lawyer argued that the deaths could potentially raise criminal liability if the investigation establishes negligence or deliberate wrongdoing. He said the five additional deaths recorded during protests over the incident should also be investigated, while officers found responsible should face the appropriate legal consequences.
Adeyanju described the deaths as potentially amounting to a crime against humanity, while stressing that the cause of death had not been conclusively established. He said allegations by survivors concerning the conditions in the cell, including a claim that a substance was sprayed inside, would have to be tested against evidence gathered by the committee.
The Federal Government constituted the 10-member committee after President Bola Tinubu ordered a comprehensive investigation into the deaths. The panel is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths, determine responsibility and make recommendations on appropriate action.
