A federal committee in Nigeria recommended ₦1.4 billion in compensation for families and survivors after deaths in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) custody, with scholarships proposed for the deceased detainees’ children.
The Ministry of Interior said the federal government would review the recommendations and announce its decisions afterward. In its Oct. 27 release, the ministry listed education support separately from compensation and gave no cost for the scholarship proposal.
Vanguard, citing the committee’s executive summary, reported that the proposal assigns ₦30 million to each of 33 bereaved families and ₦10 million to each of 41 survivors. Those amounts come to ₦990 million and ₦410 million, respectively, for total proposed compensation of ₦1.4 billion.
The survivor count differs in some coverage. TheCable and Channels Television reported 44 survivors, while the ministry’s release and the committee summary cited by Vanguard list 41.
Premium Times reported that a copy of the committee’s report it reviewed proposed scholarships for the deceased detainees’ surviving children, from primary through tertiary education. Premium Times said the report proposes a trust or escrow system for tuition and living stipends, with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Minna Emirate Council involved.
The ministry’s release said the panel counted 33 deaths, including 14 minors, and 41 survivors. The panel pointed to densely packed rooms, poor air circulation, dangerous heat and dehydration; it also said repeated pleas for help went unanswered. EconoTimes previously covered the committee’s findings on the 33 custody deaths.
The committee also called for medical rehabilitation for survivors, psychosocial support for survivors and bereaved families, and a formal government apology. Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said, “No officer found culpable will be shielded, regardless of rank or position.” The ministry gave no timeline for the government’s decision.
