A Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and 20 other officers are to face investigation over the deaths of detainees in custody, pending the outcome of an independent inquiry into the incident.
The development follows growing concerns over the circumstances surrounding the deaths and allegations regarding the treatment and detention of those arrested.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident.
The committee is expected to establish the identities of the deceased, examine the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention, and determine the causes and circumstances of their deaths.
The panel has been given two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its findings.
The investigation follows a directive by President Bola Tinubu for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered probe into the incident.
The NSCDC had earlier constituted its own high-powered investigative team to examine the circumstances surrounding the detainees’ arrest and their subsequent period in custody.
The team is expected to investigate the conditions under which the detainees were held, the treatment they received while in detention and the medical attention provided to them.
Amnesty International has also called for an independent investigation into the deaths, particularly because some of those detained were reportedly minors.
The incident has sparked protests in Minna, Niger State, where authorities subsequently imposed a curfew following clashes between protesters and security personnel.
The independent investigation is expected to provide further clarity on what happened to the detainees, establish the circumstances surrounding their deaths and determine responsibility where wrongdoing is established.
