Death of 37 miners in NSCDC custody

The circumstances surrounding the recent death of 37 illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, deserve to be comprehensively probed and the outcome made public. Although the cause of the gruesome incident is yet to be established, survivors of the disaster blamed suffocation in the overcrowded NSCDC cell for the tragedy.

Niger State governor, Umar Bago, had, some days ago, confirmed that 37 suspected illegal miners died while in the custody of the NSCDC in Minna. The miners were reportedly arrested during enforcement operations conducted by the NSCDC around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state on September 15 and 16, 2026.

The incident prompted the Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to direct the constitution of a high-powered investigative team to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The team, led by the Deputy Commandant General in charge of intelligence and investigation, was mandated to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the incident. The investigation is expected to cover the condition of the suspects upon arrest, their period in custody, the conditions of detention, medical attention provided to them and other circumstances surrounding the deaths.

In a related measure, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Suberu Aniviye, with immediate effect. The minister also ordered a full investigation into the incident.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has equally ordered a full and transparent probe into the deaths of the suspected illegal miners. Tinubu, who gave the order on Friday, said the life of every Nigerian matters and that no citizen should lose his life while in government custody as a result of negligence, abuse, inhumane treatment or dereliction of duty. The President expressed deep concern over the reported deaths, describing the development as a grave matter that requires urgent investigation and accountability. “The fact that these individuals were suspected of illegal mining does not in any way remove their right to life, dignity and humane treatment while in government custody. Government will not tolerate mass deaths arising from official negligence, dereliction of duty or failure by public officials to protect the lives placed under their care”, the President stated.

President Tinubu directed the relevant authorities to ensure that the investigation is comprehensive, transparent and unhindered, covering the circumstances of the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they were taken into custody, the conditions under which they were detained, the number of persons held in the facility, the medical attention provided and the events leading to their deaths.

The preliminary directives and measures are in order. The death of the 37 miners in one fell swoop is shocking and disturbing. The number of the victims is staggering, while the uncertainty of the circumstances behind their death is bizarre. Therefore, the NSCDC, Niger State and the federal government owe it a duty to Nigerians to explain what happened to the miners. The primary function of the government remains the protection of life and welfare of the citizens. The life of every Nigerian is precious and should be treated so. No Nigerian deserves to die in unclear or questionable circumstances.

Let the NSCDC leadership cooperate fully with all relevant investigative authorities and ensure that there is no interference or attempts to frustrate the establishment of the truth behind the gory incident. The alleged illegality of the action by the deceased should not be reason for poor handling of the case. There is need for justice for all the parties involved in the incident.

The cause of the deaths should not be a matter of speculation. Any reports attributing the deaths to any specific disease or incident should therefore remain subject to medical and laboratory confirmation. The Corps and Nigerians need to refrain from speculation until the outcome of the medical examination is established.

It is important to remind the NSCDC and relevant government agencies that the world and international community are watching on how Nigeria handles the worrisome death of the miners. No stone must be left unturned in unravelling the cause of their death. This is a matter that borders on national prestige and a portrayal of how the nation treats its citizens. All hands must be on deck to ensure that every step in the investigation is transparent and made public. 

The Niger incident underlines the need to ensure that the health and welfare of all persons in NSCDC custody or facilities by other security agencies be given utmost priority and necessary measures taken to protect personnel who may have contacts with the inmates. We extend our condolences to the families of the deceased and Niger State government on the unfortunate incident.