Detainees held at a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) facility in Niger State were forced to drink urine and sweat due to a lack of access to water before 33 of them died, an investigative panel has revealed.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The findings are contained in a report by the Independent Investigation Committee established by the Federal Ministry of Interior. Premium Times reportedly obtained a copy of the document.

The 10-member committee, chaired by Jonathan Kure, confirmed that 33 detainees, including 14 minors, died in the male cell between 8 pm on September 16 and 7 am on September 17. Another 41 detainees survived.

According to the report, approximately 50 male detainees, including children, were confined in a cell measuring about 12 square metres. The facility had a solid metal door, poor ventilation, no running water and a non-functional toilet.

The committee stated that the detainees resorted to drinking urine and sweat because they had no access to water.

Survivors reportedly described unbearable heat, dehydration and severe overcrowding, explaining that there was barely enough room to move inside the cell.

The panel also discovered that the female cell had no drinking water apart from supplies brought in by relatives. Its toilet could only be used when water was fetched from outside.

It further found that relatives were prevented from bringing food to detainees on September 16.

“The Committee finds that officers responsible for the cells failed to reduce the overcrowding, ignored prolonged cries and banging of the cell door and wall and did not provide emergency help,” the report stated.

According to the findings, detainees began experiencing eye irritation, burning sensations in their throats, difficulty breathing, excessive sweating and intense thirst from around 7:15 pm on September 16. They reportedly cried out repeatedly for assistance and water.

The committee also found that an NSCDC medical unit staff member, Mariam Nelson, had warned the cell guards, Usman Ndamaka and Hassan Mohammed, on the evening of September 16 that the overcrowding could result in suffocation.

Nelson said she advised the officers to leave the metal door unlocked to allow fresh air into the cell, but they allegedly ignored her warning.

An armoury guard, Ahmed Wushishi, told the panel that he heard persistent screams and banging from the cell between 1 am and 2 am on September 17.

He said he urged the night guard, Mohammed, to open the door, but the officer refused, claiming that his superior, Ndamaka, had instructed him not to open the cell without armed support because the detainees might escape.

Wushishi disclosed that the cries and screams eventually stopped at about 2:30 am.

Ndamaka reportedly admitted issuing the instruction and failing to respond to an emergency call from Mohammed at 10:37 pm on September 16. He claimed he was asleep at the time.

He later returned the call at about 6 am and arrived at the facility around 7 am, when the cell was eventually opened and the bodies discovered.

The investigation further revealed that a profiling officer, Abubakar Dabban, had documented four children below the age of 14 but still placed them in cells with adult detainees.

The committee described the action as a violation of the children’s rights and existing child protection laws.

On the cause of death, the panel attributed the fatalities to acute hypoxic respiratory failure, also known as environmental asphyxia, aggravated by heat stress and dehydration.

However, it acknowledged that its medical findings were based on post-mortem examinations conducted on only three bodies, as the remaining 30 had been buried before the medical team arrived.

The committee also dismissed claims that an outbreak of disease was responsible for the deaths.

It identified the underlying factors as NSCDC officers’ failure to fulfil their duty of care, poor detention facilities, inadequate emergency medical arrangements and weak supervision.

The panel subsequently recommended the prosecution of officers found culpable for offences such as murder, criminal negligence, torture and inhuman treatment, where applicable.

Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has vowed to work towards securing victory for President Bola Tinubu in Adamawa State during the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Abba, who heads a pro-Tinubu group known as the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation (HBTO), made the declaration on Friday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja.

The occasion marked the official unveiling of the organisation’s vision and the launch of its subsidised transport scheme in the Federal Capital Territory.

Addressing questions about his decision to support his father’s political opponent, Abba said his position was based on personal conviction and his right to make independent political choices.

He explained that political decisions that differ from the views of family members often attract public attention, but insisted that everyone should be free to support the leaders and political platforms they believe in.

Abba recalled that he had supported his father during the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections but said he was now convinced by the policies and reforms of the Tinubu administration.

“It’s not just because it’s my father. I don’t think I am antagonising him; I simply believe in the current government’s policies and the reforms taking place,” he said.

Asked whether his organisation could secure Adamawa, his father’s home state, for the APC, Abba responded confidently: “Yes, yes, yes. We are going to deliver Adamawa State.”

He also praised several initiatives of the Tinubu administration, including the student loan scheme, infrastructure development, increased allocations to state governments and transport support programmes.

As part of the organisation’s efforts to support the government’s agenda, Abba unveiled 10 luxury buses to provide subsidised commuter services, starting in the FCT.

He disclosed that the initiative would be expanded to other states, with plans to provide five or six buses in each state.

According to him, the programme is aimed at reducing transportation costs, easing the difficulties faced by commuters and providing practical support to ordinary Nigerians.

Abba further announced plans to organise a two-million-man march across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with the mobilisation exercise expected to begin in Abuja.

He also revealed that the group was working with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to secure support for Tinubu in the FCT and Rivers State.

He said the organisation would activate its structures in Rivers State for a mobilisation exercise scheduled for the following week.

Abba expressed appreciation to the APC leadership and its members for welcoming the organisation.

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has reportedly been attacked by suspected political thugs in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The alleged incident comes amid growing political activities and reported attacks on politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Sowore disclosed the incident in a brief statement posted on his official Facebook page on Friday, saying he and his associates were attacked while inside a restaurant.

The activist wrote, “Thugs just attacked us inside a restaurant in Ado Ekiti.”

However, as of the time of filing this report, the Ekiti State Police Command had yet to confirm the alleged attack.

In a related development, Sowore has criticised the remand of Nollywood actress Doris Ogala at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre over allegations of cyberbullying, cyberstalking and attempted extortion involving Pastor Chris Okafor.

Ogala was remanded pending the hearing and determination of her bail application after being arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The three-count charge, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, reportedly borders on the publication of intimate photographs, the dissemination of allegedly false electronic messages and threats against the cleric.

Reacting to the development in a Facebook post, Sowore accused the police of using the Cybercrimes Act to protect the interests of influential individuals.