NHRC, CISLAC seek transparent probe into deaths of 37 detained illegal mining suspects

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have called for a transparent investigation into the deaths of at least 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.

They made the call in separate statements shared with PREMIUM TIMES between Friday and Saturday.

They condemned the deaths and commiserated with the families of the deceased and the Niger State community.

The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), “called for an independent forensic autopsy and preservation of all evidence,” and said that “the investigation ordered by the Interior Minister and the NSCDC must be transparent, thorough and comply with international standards for investigating potentially unlawful deaths in custody.”

He described the deaths, which occurred after the NSCDC detained the suspects, as concerning.

The deceased were arrested in connection with mining activities in the Ema Ushishi area of Niger State on 15 and 16 September.

More than 37 detainees reportedly died while in custody, although the exact number and cause of death have not been officially established.

However, suffocation resulting from overcrowding in the NSCDC’s detention facility has been identified as a probable cause of death.

The Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Bago, urged people not to jump to conclusions and to await the conclusion of investigations.

Both the Niger State Government and the Federal Ministry of Interior, which supervises the NSCDC have launched separate investigative committees to conduct a full-scale review of the incident.

Mr Ojukwu and CISLAC Executive Director Auwal ‘Rafsanjani’ Musa urged law enforcement agencies to uphold citizens’ constitutional rights regardless of their status – whether suspected of a crime or innocent.

“Every person in custody must be treated with dignity in accordance with the law,” Mr Ojukwu wrote, referencing the illegal mining allegations against the deceased suspects.

“Citizens who are arrested on suspicion by law enforcement agents are by law expected to enjoy the full complement of their fundamental human rights in accordance with national and international human rights instruments,” the NHRC head added.

Similarly, Mr Musa of CISLAC, said every citizen detained on suspicion of a crime retains fundamental human rights including the rights to life, dignity, and protection from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.”

He said that poverty, poor access to education and weak social protection regulatory failures have fuelled illegal mining and the exploitation of young Nigerians.

“These systemic failures continue to expose vulnerable families and children to dangerous, exploitative and unacceptable working conditions,” he lamented.

Curfew imposed, NHRC urges youth to refrain from violence

Following the tragic incident, the bodies of the deceased have been moved to a mortuary, drawing tension among youths and residents in Minna, the Niger State capital in Nigeria’s North-central.

This led the Niger State Government to impose a 24-hour curfew across Minna.

The Niger State government also suspended mining activities in the state. Similarly, the state has also cancelled an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally scheduled to take place.

Mr Ojukwu implored youths in Minna “to remain calm and refrain from violence” and affirmed that the NHRC “will ensure accountability and that appropriate remedies are provided where violations are established.”

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A wave of probes

The Niger State Government constituted a committee of inquiry to determine the cause of the deaths. The Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, would chair the committee, while the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Maurice Magaji, would serve as secretary.

Similarly, the State Security Service, the police and the NSCDC have also constituted separate committees to investigate the incident.

While CISLAC welcomes these measures, Mr Musa said this incident should trigger a review “of the regulatory and enforcement systems governing mining activities and the protection of vulnerable communities.”

Similarly, he called for the prosecution of officers found culpable in the deaths of the 37 victims, improvements to detention centres in the country and redress for the families of the deceased.