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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has been urged to quicken the implementation of the report of the 10-man independent committee constituted to look into the death of 37 miners in Niger State.
Last month, 37 miners died in the facility of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, as a result of inhumane conditions, leading to the formation of a committee chaired by Jonathan Kure, former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The committee recommended the suspension of 21 officers, stiffer sanctions, including dismissal, prosecution of all officers of the Niger State Command found culpable and the fines to the family of the victims.
In his reaction, the Executive Director of the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN), Blessing Akinlosotu, in a statement yesterday, also recommended the upgrade of detention facilities across the country.
Akinlosotu commended the “diligence, patriotism and thoroughness of the 10-man Independent Committee chaired by the highly respected Mr Jonathan Kure, former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).”
According to him, the major takeaway from the report was that the condition of the detention facility in Minna was deplorable, unhealthy, inhumane, severely overcrowded and grossly unfit for human habitation, with no room for proper breathing and ventilation, leading to the suffocation of detainees.
He condemned what he termed “unprofessional and reckless actions of the NSCDC officers involved.”
He added that the tragedy in Minna was not just about recklessness and negligence but more about systemic underfunding.
He pointed out that the NSCDC and other national security agencies appeared overwhelmed with enormous responsibilities, such as securing lives and property of citizens, protection of solid minerals and prevention of illegal mining, protection of critical national assets and infrastructure, Safe School Initiative, agro-rangers for farmers-herders peace, and disaster management, yet they operate with medieval detention facilities.
He said: “The Council hereby calls on the Federal Government to make adequate and improved budgetary provisions for the upgrade of detention facilities nationwide and for better funding of the Nation’s Security Architecture.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Panel Report never indicted the Commander General.
“The Report clearly established that the operation in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto was carried out without operational order, without knowledge and without approval of the National Headquarters.
“Therefore, no one should politicise or attempt to use this state-level operational failure to incite the public against the National Leadership of the Corps and the Federal Government of Nigeria,” he said.
The executive director attested to what he called the professionalism and patriotism of the Commander General of the NSCDC, Prof Ahmed Abubakar Audi, and his monumental reforms, transformation and repositioning of the NSCDC.
“Prof Ahmed Abubakar Audi has transformed the NSCDC from a low-rated civil outfit into a world-class, intellectually-driven and highly respected security organisation.
“His passion for professionalism, discipline, human rights compliance and service to humanity is exemplary and well documented. We can attest to it. The entire civil society community can attest to it.
“The Commander General cannot be everywhere at the same time. If a Police Commissioner fails in his responsibility in a State, the Inspector General of Police cannot be made to bear the consequences.
“If a Governor fails, the President cannot be blamed. The same principle of administrative justice must apply here. You sanction the erring subordinate accordingly.
“We earnestly urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to look into the Report by the Panel, and implement it wisely and judiciously.
“The Federal Government must, as a matter of national security and urgency, approve a Special Intervention Fund and massive budgetary increase for the NSCDC and other Security Apparatus for construction of standard, humane and well-ventilated detention facilities in all 36 States and the FCT, procurement of operational vehicles, modern surveillance and communication equipment, and continuous training and retraining of personnel on custodial management and human rights.
“A well-funded, well-equipped and well-trained Security Architecture guarantees a safer and more prosperous country.
“We urge all security and law enforcement agencies to fast-track the arraignment of suspects before competent courts of law, as this remains the most effective measure to curtail the prolonged, unlawful detention of Nigerians in their facilities and to uphold the constitutional guarantees of fair hearing and human dignity,” he added.
