The ten-member independent committee set up by the Federal Government to investigate the cause of deaths of the 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger state, has blamed extreme heat and congestion their deaths.

The committee found that the miners died from asphyxiation, a condition in which the body is deprived of adequate oxygen, potentially leading to unconsciousness, organ damage or death.

Chairman of the committee, Jonathan Kure, spoke on Tuesday while presenting the panel’s report to Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, in Abuja.

The Federal Government constituted the committee on September 19 following a directive by President Bola Tinubu for a “full and transparent” investigation into the deaths of the suspected illegal miners.

Tunji-Ojo announced the decision in a statement in which he listed the names of the 21 officers suspended in connection with the incident.

The NSCDC said the suspects were arrested during operations conducted on September 15 and 16 around Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna, the Niger state capital.

In a statement, Suberu Aniviye, the NSCDC commandant in Niger state, said “scores of the detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of Thursday following a suspected outbreak of disease”.

Following the development, the Federal Government suspended the Niger state NSCDC commandant and ordered a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

However, on October 6, the panel requested a two-week extension to submit its report on the matter.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Kure said the panel travelled to Minna and inspected the custody facility, conducted autopsies, took witness statements from NSCDC personnel, survivors, families and other witnesses, and collected documentary and forensic evidence.

He noted that preliminary findings showed institutional gaps and overzealousness on the part of some officers, adding that greater professionalism was required in handling such sensitive cases.

Ahead of the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has uploaded the preliminary voter register to its online platform following calls for broader public access.

Mohammed Haruna, chairman of INEC’s information and voter education committee, in a statement issued on Monday, said the preliminary register of voters displayed between October 9 and 15 will be updated.

“In accordance with section 19 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the commission conducted the physical display of the register at registration areas nationwide from 9th to 15th October, 2026, providing registered voters the opportunity to inspect their particulars and submit claims and objections as prescribed by law,” he said.

Haruna added that the online publication followed the physical display of the preliminary register at registration areas nationwide, in line with Section 19 of the Electoral Act 2026.

The chairman of the information and voter education committee said the online publication would complement the physical exercise and provide wider access to the register.

“Accordingly, and in furtherance of its commitment to transparency, accessibility and public confidence in the electoral process, the commission has decided to make available on its online platform https://display.inecnigeria.org the same preliminary register of voters earlier displayed at the registration areas, ” Haruna said.

“This additional measure complements the physical display already undertaken and is intended to facilitate wider public access to the register.

“Meanwhile, the commission continues to process claims and objections arising from the exercise in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, preparatory to the certification and publication of the final register of voters on 15th December 2026.”

He reiterated the commission’s commitment to transparency, accountability and implementation of the Electoral Act 2026.

1. Organised labour will decide its next course of action after a crucial meeting with the Federal Government on Tuesday (today), with the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress demanding concrete proposals on petrol prices, wage negotiations and other unresolved workers’ welfare issues amid the threat of nationwide industrial action.

The talks, which follow an earlier meeting that ended without an agreement, are expected to determine whether the government can address labour’s demands before the unions’ ultimatum expires.

2. Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday urged Nigerians, especially business leaders and other influential people, to take the country’s economic future seriously. 
According to him, discerning Nigerians should be bold to support economic policies capable of bringing the nation back from the precipice. Quoting a famous  political thinker, Frantz Fanon, he said: “Every onlooker is either a coward or a traitor.”

3. A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 25 for former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai to open his defence in the ongoing trial over alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik fixed the date on Monday after dismissing a no-case submission filed by El-Rufai, ruling that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require him to defend himself against the charges.

4. Nigeria’s index case of the imported Ebola virus disease has been evacuated to Switzerland for further care, Minister of Health, Ali Pate, has said. Pate disclosed that the patient departed Abuja earlier on Monday with his approval, adding that her spouse, who has remained asymptomatic, accompanied her. In a statement, the minister said the patient’s clinical condition had improved significantly before the evacuation.

5. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for saying the prevailing hardship in the country was caused by the opposition. Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, on Monday, said the opposition, especially the PDP, is not responsible for the hardship in the country.
.

6. England captain Harry Kane has been crowned the winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, claiming football’s most prestigious individual award. The Bayern Munich striker emerged as the standout player at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, held on Monday, October 26, after an outstanding year for club and country.

7. The Senate has assured Nigerians that legislation to establish state police will be enacted before the end of the year, following the approval of the constitutional amendment by the required 24 state Houses of Assembly.
The assurance came as the Ondo State House of Assembly, on Monday, passed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to establish the State Police Services in Nigeria.

8. The Independent National Electoral Commission has decided to publish the preliminary register of voters for the 2027 general elections online following concerns from Nigerians and other stakeholders over its accessibility. The commission announced the decision on Monday, saying the register, which was displayed physically at registration areas nationwide from October 9 to 15.

9. Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested 14 Chinese nationals and one Nigerian at four illegal lithium processing plants in the Ogere area of Ogun State. The anti-graft agency stated on Monday via its X handle that the operation was carried out when its operatives busted the illegal lithium plants.

10. Troops of the Joint Task Force, North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, have neutralised eight suspected terrorists and rescued three kidnapped victims during coordinated operations in Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara states. The operations, conducted between Saturday and Sunday, also led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, three locally fabricated guns, three motorcycles, cutlasses and assorted charms.