The death of 37 suspected illegal miners, mainly youths, in the detention facility of Nigeria’s Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the northern state of Niger, has elicited widespread condemnation and public outrage, with the NGO Centre for Community Law, Amnesty International, Nigeria, and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) among organisations calling for an independent, transparent investigation and accountability. Parents of some of the deceased have also demanded justice and compensation.
The authorities have responded with the announcement of several investigations or probes, the usual elixir to calm nerves. The NSCDC has also announced the suspension of 24 of its officers, including the Niger State Commandant. They are facing further investigation to determine culpability “for administrative disciplinary measures, which could lead to prosecution.”
Whether these measures will produce the required remedy is another matter.
Over 70% of Nigeria’s foreign earnings are from crude oil, explored mainly in the southern part of the country. However, Africa’s most populous nation also boasts large deposits of solid minerals in the northern region, including gold and diamonds. The volume or quantity of the mineral deposits is largely indeterminate, and revenue therefrom is not adequately reflected in the national budget. The statistics are opaque at best.
The 37 miners reportedly died after they were arrested during NSCDC operations targeting suspected illegal mining activities in Minna, the Niger State capital on 15 and 16 September. The NSCDC earlier said that scores of detainees were found dead in the early hours of 17 September from disease outbreaks. But in a viral video clip on social media, a survivor of the incident said the detainees had complained about the size and heat in their detention room before an unidentified substance was allegedly sprayed inside.
“They locked us in a very small room. We were 17 in number, then they added more people, and we started complaining that the room was small,” the survivor said, adding, “the situation became worse when… they sprayed something that looked like perfume, and the smell started disturbing everyone in the room.”
While demanding a thorough investigation as well as justice and accountability, the parents of the deceased miners said the compensation would provide some relief to the affected families.
A father, Musa Aliyu, said he lost two of his children, Ibrahim, 17, and Abubakar, 12, in the incident, noting that his late sons supported the family, particularly helping to purchase his medication.
“They had left for the mining site at Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Housing Estate, but failed to return(home),” he said. Another parent, Lawal Mohammad, said his 15-year-old son, Suleiman, was also among the dead.
Acting on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, at the weekend, announced a 10-member probe panel chaired by a Department of State Security (DSS) Deputy Director-General Jonathan Kure.
The panel’s remit includes determining the “identities of the deceased and investigating their arrests, detention… the cause/s and circumstances of their deaths.”
In its statement, the Nigeria Union of Journalists called “for a full, independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of the 37 suspected illegal miners…,” insisting that “authorities must establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine whether negligence, abuse, misconduct or breaches of detention procedures contributed to the tragedy.”
“When citizens are taken into government custody, the state assumes a responsibility for their safety and humane treatment. Any death in custody therefore demands clear answers, credible investigation and accountability where wrongdoing is established,” the union said.
Also demanding an independent probe, Amnesty International, Nigeria, said: “This loss of lives cannot go unanswered.” It urged the authorities to establish how the detention of the suspects “descended into a disaster that killed minors.”
“Anyone found responsible should face justice rather than merely internal or administrative sanctions,” the rights group said, adding that “The victims and their families must be provided with access to justice and effective remedies.”
For its part, ICIR, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, said: “While the command put the number of those who died at 37…, using the term ‘scores’ for the fatalities suggests that the number of casualties could be higher.”
Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has also called on the Attorney-General of the Federation and his Niger State counterpart to weigh in and ensure that justice is done.
The Centre for Community Law, a non-profit NGO whose objectives include monitoring compliance with and promoting accountability within ECOWAS Community institutions, said “Of particular concern are the conflicting and rapidly changing explanations…,” of the tragic deaths.
While welcoming the steps reportedly taken by the Federal Government to initiate investigations, the Centre expressed “deep concern over the duplication of Committees,” following the statement credited to the Niger State Government that at least five committees have been set up at different levels. – the NSCDC, the DSS, the IGP (Inspector-General of Police), the Niger State Government and the Federal Government,”
It insists that the “investigation must be thorough, independent, transparent, and free from institutional interference. Its mandate and proceedings must be sufficiently robust to establish the facts and determine the circumstances and causes of the deaths…” and “…the length of time each of the deceased detainees had spent in the custody of the NSCDC before the tragic incident.”
“Where wrongdoing or negligence is established, all persons connected with the incident must be held accountable in accordance with Nigerian law and applicable international human rights standards,” it added.
The Centre said that “Custodial facilities and detention centres across Nigeria must urgently review and strengthen their protocols and conditions of detention to prevent a recurrence of such an avoidable loss of life.”
While pledging its commitment “to supporting initiatives that promote transparency, justice, accountability, and systemic reform within Nigeria’s custodial system,” the Centre called on civil society organisations, human rights institutions, and the international community “to closely monitor the investigative process and advocate for the protection of detainees and persons deprived of their liberty across Nigeria.”
Continuing, the Centre recalled that in March 2026, following the proceedings it instituted before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, in the Centre for Community Law v. Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Court in its “Judgment No. ECW/CCJ/JUD/15/26, found, among others, evidence establishing that a considerable number of inmates were being held in overcrowded correctional facilities, with many remaining in such conditions for prolonged periods while awaiting trial.”
“The Court declared… (that) …the continued detention of persons in overcrowded correctional facilities places Nigeria in violation of the right to dignity inherent in the human person, contrary to Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights,” it added.
“The Centre is of the firm view that (the latest) tragedy might, perhaps, have been averted had Nigeria implemented the ECOWAS Court’s decision in a timely and effective manner,” the statement said, adding that “The failure to act… has once again resulted in avoidable loss of life.”
It therefore “calls on the Federal Government of Nigeria, the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations, and Nigeria’s international partners to support the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry with sufficient independence and powers to summon witnesses, obtain and examine relevant records, inspect custodial facilities, receive expert evidence, determine the circumstances and causes of the deaths (in Niger State), identify responsibility and make legally actionable recommendations.”
“The deaths of these 37 persons must not be reduced to another statistic or followed by another investigation whose findings are neither published nor implemented,” the Centre said, in apparent reference to previous official probes, including high-profile unresolved murders.
Ejime is a Global Affairs Analyst and an Independent Consultant on Corporate Strategic Communication, Media Development, Security and Elections
